Baby, If You Were Mine
by anything-new
Summary: When Garcia's oven explodes while baking brownies at 2 AM, her noir hero comes to the rescue. She temporarily moves in with Morgan, who hopes she'll see him the way he sees her one day. Will now be their chance? *story now rated M*
1. Brownies

**A/N: Written for Chit Chat On Author's Corner PYOP Challenge. My pairing: Morgan and Garcia (of course!), prompt: ****Character A calls Character B in the middle of the night because an appliance blows up **

**A bit of angst, a touch of drama, a whole lot of romance (eventually): yes, this turned out into another multichapter. **

**Because apparently I can't help it: the title is from a song by Dutch singer Anouk. I think they lyrics are pretty fitting for this fic, but since it's not a songfic but rather lyrics that resonate with it, I'm not posting them. **

**I hope you like! **

**Disclaimer: okay okay I admit I still own nothing. **

**=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=**

Two AM phone calls usually didn't mean anything good, so when Derek heard his cell phone ring, pulling him from a restless sleep, he jolted up in bed, grabbing the offending piece of technology with one hand and reaching out to find a shirt with the other.

"Morgan," he barked, not even checking caller ID.

All he heard was sobbing. Confused, he rubbed his eyes so he would see clearly, and checked caller ID after all. Why would Penelope call him in the middle of the night, crying? Surely his mind was playing tricks on him. But no, the display clearly read "baby girl".

"Baby girl, what's wrong?" he asked, concern dripping from his voice. By the time she was breathing enough to be able to start answering, he was already tying his shoes.

"It exploded, hot stuff, it just went … BOOM and then..." She started crying again, only worrying Morgan even more.

"Sweetness, Penelope, it'll all be okay. I'll be there in ten minutes, and whatever it is, we'll fix it, okay? Just stay on the phone with me, and try to breathe in deeply, baby girl, can you do that for me?" he coaxed, trying to make her calm down.

He had never driven so fast in his life, at least not when not chasing an UnSub or driving a bomb-laden ambulance through NYC. Through the entire ride, he kept reassuring her, but he became none the wiser as to what happened. Not bothering to park properly when he saw a police car and firefighters coming out of the building she lived in, he put his phone away and ran up the stairs, where he saw her sitting just outside of her apartment, a blanket around her, an officer hovering over her, trying to calm her down.

In a second he was on his knees next to her, gathering her up in his arms, dropping kisses in her hair and rubbing her back while she clung to him for dear life. When he finally had her calmed down as well as he could, he eased back a little, cupping her face in his hands.

"Baby girl... what happened?" he almost whispered, hating to see her so distressed. He wiped her tears away, looking her in the eyes. "Tell me, please, what happened?"

The officer, still standing next to them, scraped his throat.

"Sir, excuse me but I will have to ask you to step back. We need to take Mrs. errmmm..." he looked at the doorbell, "Mrs. Garcia's statement."

"We're with the FBI," Morgan flashed his credentials. The officer looked at his badge, then at the gun he hadn't noticed before, and chose to believe him.

"Well when you're ready," he hesitated a moment, "just give me something for my report. It's pretty ugly in there." Morgan simply nodded and then returned his attention to a still sniffing Penelope.

"Goddess, please talk to me," he pleaded. "What the hell?"

She took a deep breath, then looked at her hands, folded in her lap. Morgan just responded by squeezing her arms, encouraging her.

"I was making brownies." She just stated, and looked up at him.

"Brownies? At 2 AM? And you decided to invite the local leos and firefighters to celebrate with you?" he joked, trying to relieve a bit of the tension. He quickly thought better of it when he saw tears welling up in her eyes again.

"Hey, hey, I was just joking, sweetness, continue, please," he apologized. She actually tried a watery smile at him, shrugging.

"So I was baking, because tomorrow I'm supposed to go to Kevin's mother's birthday party, and we got in so late yesterday I had no time, and she's always nagging to Kevin that I can't cook so I decided to show her I just don't have time for it, and besides, he's old enough to look after himself, and..." she rambled, making big, agitated gestures with her hands. Morgan nodded, nudging her to go on. _Of course Lynch would have something to do with his baby girl's distress. _His dislike grew with every mention of the man.

"And I don't know what happened, but all over sudden the oven exploded, it just went up _like that_," she gestured some more.

"Probably a gas build up. Did you have the oven checked lately?" Morgan gently asked, causing Pen's eyes to flow open like saucers.

"No! I just bought it last year. Should I have? Oh my God I'm such an idiot," she gasped, her hand over her mouth.

"It's okay sweetheart, it's not your fault, what happened then?" He sat a little closer to her again, knowing she needed physical contact for comfort most now. _Where the hell was Lynch? _

"It started burning, and the flames were so high, but I was in the bedroom so I didn't see it at first and fortunately Mrs. Beckwith next doors was awakened by the explosion and she called the police while I tried to put it out with the fire extinguisher but it was no use." She seemed more calm now, her analytical brain coming back. Morgan knew Pen reacted pretty emotionally, but usually she wasn't a mess like this.

"Baby, look at me," he cupped her face in his hands again. "It's okay, the fire is out, there's some damage but I promise that will be fixed even if I have to do it myself, and before you know it, it'll all be just a bad memory."

For the first time she really smiled, leaning into his touch. He smiled back at her, and as much as he wanted to kiss the last tears away from her cheeks, he refrained, just like he always did when they were so close. She had chosen Lynch, and he needed to respect that. _Where was he anyway?_

Pulling away, he groaned slightly, not really wanting to let her go, but he had to, for his own sanity.

"Is Kevin still on his way?" he asked, hesitantly, not wanting to ask her outright why she called him and not her boyfriend.

"Kevin. HAH." she scoffed, and a new flood of tears was ready to burst from her eyes. "He... I..called him when I was outside, and all he could do was rant because it was late, I woke him and his mother up, and I was an idiot and couldn't do anything right anyway so I could just solve my own mess now."

"Oh baby girl, he is the idiot here," Morgan answered truthfully, "You are a Goddess who experienced a little hiccup, that is all."

"You always know what to say to make me feel better cupcake," she said softly. "I'm so sorry for waking you up though, I'm sure Tamara didn't..."

"There is no Tamara," he quickly interrupted her. "Never has been. Nor anyone else. Never think you don't come first baby girl," he put his heart on his sleeve.

Her eyes started welling up again, but this time it were happy tears, even if they were mixed with a little melancholy because her noir hero would never be hers. As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she shook her head, quickly stood up and tried to straighten her clothes as well as possible.

"Thank you. But I better go give my statement and then find a way to convince Kevin to let me stay with him until this mess is cleaned up." She started towards the door, but was surprised when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. Was Lynch out of his mind? He needed _convincing_ to let her stay with him? Morgan would give up everything to have her with him. He shook his head.

"No way, Penelope," he said, his tone very serious, demanding, leaving no room for a negative answer. "You are coming with me."

**A/N: More? **


	2. Breakfast

They were quiet while driving over to his place, after Penelope had gotten the all clear from the officer to come back the next morning for her statement. She had grabbed some essentials, and with the help of Morgan packed up her precious super 8 projector and films, as well as some other valuable items she didn't want to leave behind. Tomorrow she would come back for clothes and anything else she would need for the stay at his apartment. She was still reluctant, but relieved he took it out of her hands. She didn't really want to think right now. She would deal with Kevin later.

When they arrived at his house, Morgan quickly got out of the car and walked around to the passenger's side to open the door for Penelope. Even though he knew she needed no help, he still grabbed her hand and didn't let go until he reached the front door, fumbling for his keys.

"Handsome," she put her hand on his arm, stopping him a second. "Thank you so much for being there for me." She smiled, a real genuine smile for the first time since he had arrived at her place.

"You know I would do _anything_ for you, Penelope, _anything. _I really mean that," he answered, a pang of regret in his voice. It was stronger than himself. He had backed off for so long, thinking she was happy when she chose Lynch, that he had no right to interfere. His chance had passed, all those years ago when he didn't step up and follow through on his declaration.

"You are really the best friend anyone could ask for," she patted his arm, turning her attention back to the door, waiting on him to open it.

"You have no idea," he muttered under his breath, stepping inside.

"What?" she asked confused, but he was already in the kitchen, taking a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"Are you hungry?" he yelled while she took off her coat and made her way into the living room where she let herself unceremoniously fall on the couch.

"Nah I'm good handsome," she lied, because she _was_ hungry after all the events of the night. She had skipped dinner to start baking, and she didn't taste her ingredients since Lynch had made the remark that if she didn't do that while baking or cooking, she might lose a few pounds.

"Sure?" He came into the living room, drying his hands with a towel.

"No handsome, I'm okay, please go back to bed, I have been keeping you up long enough already," she apologized, earning herself a scowl.

"Baby girl, when are you going to get it through your hard head that it's no big deal at all? That..." He shook his head, briefly rested it in his hands, then looked up again. "Doesn't matter. Did you eat dinner?"

"Errm, yes, I did," she quickly answered.

"You know I know it when you lie to me," he looked at her intently.

"I... had some brownies!" she tried to save her face.

"Come on, I have lasagna in the fridge, I'll warm it. And then we're going to bed." With that simple statement he returned to his kitchen, and soon she heard the ding of the microwave. Only then did she follow him into the kitchen, taking a spot at the table where he had laid the table for two, candles included.

"I've been waiting so long to have you over for a candlelight dinner," he answered her raised eyebrow with a 100 watt smile, "Well almost breakfast I guess," he added, looking at the clock.

"Oh my God, Morgan, I'm so sorry, it's past 4 AM, and here I am keeping you awake, and in a couple of hours you have to get up and we're sitting here with lasagna!" she apologized profusely, but he bent over and put a finger on her lips to shut her up.

"Eat, and then we are going to sleep. I already sent a message to Hotch we wouldn't be in today," he shot her a big grin. "Come on, it won't bite back!"

They barely spoke while eating dinner, but Morgan couldn't keep his eyes away from Penelope. He knew her like the back of his hand, and a nagging little voice inside his head kept telling him something was wrong with his best friend. It wasn't just the explosion in her apartment, it was the way she was devouring her food like she hadn't eaten in days, and her explanations about Lynch not being there, hell, about her baking in the middle of the night which worried him.

When she finally put her fork down, a satisfied smile on her lips, he gently took her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Let's get some sleep, mama, we both need it."

He guided her up the stairs, to the guest bedroom she had used regularly until she started going out with Lynch. Then suddenly there was no room anymore for sleepovers, or for endless flirting like they had done before. It was still there, but more like a shadow of what they used to do, a lot more subdued. Truth was, he missed it more than anything. But he wasn't sure if she did too, so he didn't really bring it up.

"I missed this," she echoed his thoughts though, turning around in the door frame, and awakening the tiniest flame of hope in Morgan's heart.

"Goodnight princess," he answered throatily, kissing her cheek.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Later that morning Morgan was up and bustling around in the kitchen. He hadn't been able to sleep much, not that he usually could. But now he was worrying about Pen on top of everything, and that wasn't doing his insomniac nature any good. The last time he slept really well he had his arms around her, but that was right after she got shot and before she got with Lynch. He hadn't dared asking for a repeat, although he often wished he had. He usually tried to quell those thoughts by going out, getting drunk and fucking some random girl, but even that couldn't take the inevitable heartache away when he realised he'd never have the woman he wanted in his arms.

He was just about to pour himself another cup of coffee when she wandered into the kitchen, wearing ducky pajamas, her hair mussed, sleep still clouding her eyes. He couldn't help but smile, she was the most adorable thing he had ever seen in his entire life. It also dawned on him he could get used to this sight for the rest of his life, but he quelled that thought as soon as it popped up.

"Good morning, baby girl," he greeted her with enthusiasm. He was a morning person, she was not. But she still couldn't resist his charm, no matter how little she had slept.

"I'll show you a good morning, hot stuff," she answered, her tone a little less bright than usual, but a smile on her lips as soon as she felt his strong arms around her. Suddenly, she knew it was going to be alright and she no longer worried about her place being half-destroyed and being homeless for a while. Shaking off thoughts that she could get used to waking up like this, she accepted a cup of coffee and sat down at Derek's breakfast bar where he presented her with eggs and toast.

"Mmm, any girl is lucky to wake up with you, handsome, if you treat your women like this," she joked, a wistful undertone in her voice. Derek's brow furrowed, and he looked away.

"Oh, I'm sorry, that was out of line, it's really none of my business who..." she started, but he lifted his hand to stop her. "It's okay, really, it's okay."

"No, Derek, I,.." she tried to apologize but gulped when he turned back around, putting both his hands on either side of her on the breakfast bar, and looked her straight in the eyes. She could see he was peeved off, but she also thought she saw some hurt in his gaze, mixed with – could it be – lust?

"Don't," he closed his eyes briefly before looking at her again, "I... you're the only one, get that baby girl? I don't bring anyone here, hell,..." He ran his hand over his head, averting his eyes, not really wanting to continue his thought, at least not out loud.

They ate in silence, then Pen got up and putting things away, but Morgan stopped her.

"I got it," he stopped her with his hand on hers, giving it a slight squeeze to show he wasn't mad at her.

"I better get ready and call Kevin," she smiled at him, not noticing the now obvious flash of hurt in his eyes as she darted out the door.


	3. Deposit

**A/N. Oops, in my eagerness to post the second chapter I totally forgot the A/N! What I wanted to say was, wow, thanks for the overwhelming response to chapter 1! I hope the next chapters will live up to the expectations. **

**There's a little more angst to come, but really, it's nothing bad and it's just working them up to realising what has been in front of them all along, or rather Pen finally getting it! **

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing. **

By the time he was done with the dishes, he had composed himself and Pen came back in the kitchen, looking at her cellphone in her hand like it had suddenly grown two heads.

"Something wrong, sweetheart?" Morgan asked, concerned about the lost expression on her face. It was not like Penelope Garcia to be lost, but whatever the phone had done it had thrown her for a loop.

"He - he isn't answering his ph- his phone," she stuttered, looking up at him with such disbelief Morgan couldn't help but laugh, but he quickly stopped that when he saw the glare she threw him.

"Maybe his battery is dead, or he doesn't have his phone, I'm sure there's an explanation, he wouldn't do that to you, would he?" Morgan soothed.

"His phone is not ringing out, and it's not dead either, because it rings just a few times and then it is disconnected," she said stubbornly, tears slowly welling up.

"I'm sorry he's being a jerk," Morgan hugged her, "you know what, give me five minutes to get ready and I'll drive you to the police station and then we'll swing by your place, okay?"

"And then what, Handsome? What am I going to do?" She sounded so heartbroken, he answered before even thinking.

"Easy, you are moving in here until you find something or your place is fixed," he reassured her, but she moved her hands up on his chest, pushing him slightly away, her eyes big.

"Are you serious?" It sounded more like a whisper, as if she barely believed her own ears.

"I've never been more serious in my _life,_" he shot her one of his famous thousand-watt-smiles. His heartbeat sped up, expectant of her answer. If she said no, he didn't think he'd recover. This was a once in a lifetime chance to perhaps regain a bit of the closeness which used to be their trademark, and he missed so much.

"But I am going to be in your way, and I don't know how long it will take, I don't want to overstep my boundaries and Kevin..." she babbled, trying to make sense of what she just heard. She knew she shouldn't be so ridiculously happy he offered, that she should refuse, but part of her really wanted him to convince her.

"You can stay here for as long as you want to, I'd love to have you, you're my best friend and you'll sort it out with Kevin when you two had some time to think, alright?" He could be so persuasive, she knew he was certainly using some sort of interview trick to coax her into the answer he wanted to hear, but she didn't care because it was the answer she was dying to give.

"If you think it'll work, I'd love to," she smiled, happier than she had been in a while.

"Of course it'll work. This is _us_ you are talking about," he quipped, walking backwards out of the kitchen, sporting a huge, giddy smile on his face, "Five minutes, and I'll be ready."

Penelope was left wondering why the mention of _"us"_ made her heart skip a bit, then swell with love. She thought she had left those feelings behind her, long ago when she figured out she wasn't exactly Morgan's type of girl, but she was sadly mistaken. Suddenly staying here didn't seem like such a bright idea, because she didn't want her still aching heart to shatter all over again. She thought she had it under control, but obviously she had been delusional, if one brave action, a night in the guestroom and breakfast brought back all of her feelings to the surface. But did she really have a choice? Perhaps Kevin would come around... But did she really want to go live with Kevin? She thought of all his little habits that drove her crazy, and of his mother's constant remarks about what she wore or didn't wear, what she did or didn't do, and most of all how she was supposed to love Kevin. Staying with her hot stuff sounded so much more appealing, she felt a little guilty about thinking that but what was she supposed to do?

Sighing, she quickly disappeared to the guest bedroom to find herself a cardigan to wear. Morgan was singing in his bedroom, some tune she didn't really recognize because he was terribly off-key, but it made her smile anyway. She wondered if he was always this happy in the morning, or if it was purely because she was there. She knew _he_ was the cause she wasn't crying right now...

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Penelope was – in a totally innocent way she told herself – absolutely relieved it had been Derek with her at the police station and not Kevin. Not only did not one accusatory word come out of his mouth when he took over her declaration for her when she was starting to get upset, he also kept a reassuring arm around her at all times, and defended her when one of the police officers started lecturing her on fire safety. Thanks to his 'we're with the FBI'- attitude they were able to leave in no time, which she was very thankful for. She realised she could've set the building on fire, no need to remind her of that!

"Well, well, back already huh? Didn't you learn your lesson the first time?" a snarky voice came from their right as they were walking out of the police building. Penelope turned towards it, blinked once, twice, opened her mouth, then closed it again. Morgan looked at her questioningly, pulling her closer into his side when he noticed she was blushing.

A police officer was walking up to them, shooting Morgan a disapproving look before ignoring him, which did not go over well with the profiler. It was obvious the man knew Pen, and from the way he treated her with disdain, he didn't appreciate her.

"Poor Kevin. You really need to be more careful!" With those words, the man disappeared into the office behind them, slamming the door before Morgan could jump his throat.

Looking at the door, then at Pen again, he pointed to it with his thumb. "What the hell was that all about? Baby girl?" She was looking away from him, which he knew meant she was embarassed about something she hadn't wanted him to know. Usually, this did not bode well.

"Not now, please," she pleaded, dragging him out of the police station to the SUV.

"Shoot," he told her once they were seated in the car, his tone full of concern yet firm, not giving her the opportunity to back out.

"It's nothing, Derek," she answered softly, almost subdued, looking out of the window, her thoughts miles away.

"Baby girl, that man disrespected you in front of me. If you hadn't dragged me out he'd be eating his badge by now," he said rather forcefully, pointing at the general direction of the police station to make his point. She knew he was capable of going back in and demand explanations, so she just sighed.

"I was there last week with Kevin to report a large sum of stolen money," she stated, flatly, as if she was stating water is wet.

"Goddess..." he insisted, knowing there was much more to the story than that. She shrugged, then remained quiet. "Tell me, please," he begged, softly. He hated seeing her like that. He told her long ago that he'd always be okay if she kept talking to him, and seeing her retreat into her shell hurt him more than he thought possible.

"Okay, it was my fault the money got stolen, me and my ideas," she muttered. "It turned out Kevin and the officer had been in college together, they were best buds back then."

"Then why doesn't he like you? Kevin loves you, doesn't he?" Morgan inquired further, knowing he'd have to drag this out of her.

"Because I'm a stupid girl. And... DON'T!" she put up her hand when she saw Morgan starting to protest, "They are right. Last night was just more proof of that." Tears were welling up in her eyes, and before she could think of wiping them away, he had pulled her in his arms and was holding her tight.

"Listen to me, hard head," he eased her away a little from him, cupping her face in his hands so she would look him straight in the eye, "Never, _ever_ say you're stupid to me again, got that?" He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, in a gesture so tender it made Penelope sigh and new tears well up. "Now why the hell did those bastards say you were?"

She settled against his chest, a little shocked by his harsh words. She knew he didn't like Kevin, but he'd never called him any names, at least not to her face. Yet at the same time, she felt strangely comforted too. She didn't feel safer anywhere else than in his arms, and it suddenly made the events of the last week a lot more bearable.

"I wanted to buy a new MacBook Pro, top version, so I was saving up," she started her explanation, earning her a raised eyebrow, which she waved away, "hear me out, hot stuff." He just nodded, gently stroking her arm to encourage her.

"But instead of putting it in the bank like any normal person would do, I figured I'd be less inclined to spend it and it would give me more incentive if I put the cash into an old fashioned piggy bank," she looked up at Morgan, blushing because he now knew the silly things she did. "And that got stolen from my home, of course. I had 3 grand there!

She slapped Derek's arm when she saw him smiling at her. He had the same adoring look to him as he always had, but she mistakingly thought he was making fun of her because of it.

"It's not funny Morgan! I've heard enough last week how stupid that idea was and how I was asking to be robbed!" she exclaimed, a hint of fury warring with the obvious hurt in her expression. "The officer even told Kevin something like this would've never happened with his ex-girlfriend, and he was out of luck having to deal with me," she added, much more softly, looking up at him with big eyes.

"Honey, that's adorably cute. It's what makes you, you, and I love you for it," he said with a tender smile for her. They were silent then, and he held her for a minute longer before she settled back into the passenger's seat.

"Thank you, Handsome. Let's get out of here," she commanded with as much cheer as she could muster.

"Alright, Baby Girl," he agreed, before turning back to her, bringing his hand up to gently caress her cheek with his fingertips. "Just one more thing, Penelope, _any_ man would be the luckiest guy on earth to have you."

**A/N: I don't know how fast I will be able to update this as I have a busy work week (start of the busy season at my job, I work as a translator for a film fund), but let's just say that comments are a good way to shift my list of other priorities around ;) **


	4. Reminiscing

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews and alerts and favorites, they are really making me want to write more :) **

**So I have been threatened in **_**Spanish**_** by certain individuals (ReadingYourThoughts, I'm looking at you) to update this thing ASAP, and that's what I'm doing. Next update, again, depends on work, but I'm trying my best! There's a oneshot coming up soon too for a ficathon. I'll answer to comments asap too :) **

**A bit of loving, a little setback for Morgan, but trust me, she's realising what she has in front of her! **

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing! **

When Penelope remained silent after his spontaneous sort-of-confession, Morgan mentally kicked himself for making her feel uncomfortable. It was just becoming increasingly difficult not to say anything. Not when she was so close. Not when he realised how Lynch had been treating her under his nose and he hadn't noticed anything about it. His pretty strict moral code kept him from pursuing someone who was taken, but for Pen he was willing to make an exception. He'd just have to play it by ear. Show her how much better she could have it. And hope she'd fall in love with him too.

"Lunch, and then we go packing?" he offered, breaking the silence. She was so deep in thought, staring out the window, that she didn't even hear him, so he patted her thigh to get her attention, making her jump.

"Sorry princess, didn't mean to startle you," he soothed, "You were so lost in your thoughts you didn't hear me ask if lunch and then packing was okay for you?"

She just nodded, while subconsciously her hand went to his, still resting on her thigh, and held it there, returning to her thoughts. _Any man_, he had said. Her heart had started to beat faster, and she was out of witty retorts. Chiding herself for her stupidity, she had preferred looking out the window, quickly getting lost in her thoughts. He wasn't just _any man_ to her, but she needed to remember going down that path would only break her heart over again.

But how could he not think of her that way? When she intertwined her fingers with his, he never wanted to let go, hoping he wouldn't have to downshift anytime soon. Her soft hand on his rough, callused one, it was a perfect match, _it felt so right_. He long ago learned not to trust feelings too much, because they only made him hope, but right now he needed that hope not to drown.

How was she supposed to survive the next few weeks, perhaps even month or months while she was looking for a new place or she returned to hers? She didn't know which deity she pissed off so much to put her through such a trial, but at the same time, this was the closest they had been since she had started to date Lynch, and she didn't want to relinquish her second chance.

Morgan pulled up in front of her favourite Italian diner, reluctantly having pulled his hand from hers, but as soon as he walked around the car to open her door, he took it again, gently squeezing it, a tender smile on his face, which grew bigger when he felt her squeezing back. They walked in hand in hand, only letting go when they took their seats in a boot. He surprised her by sitting next to her, instead of opposite. They used to eat like that all the time before Kevin came into her life and made her feel guilty about being so close to Morgan, so they had stopped sharing their food. She was once more reminded of how much she had missed this. Kevin was not like that at all. He just wanted her to taste his horrible concoctions, Morgan wanted to share something he enjoyed with her. _That really made all the difference,didn't it? _

During lunch they just chatted like in olden times, laughed, and Pen completely forgot why they were there in the first place, relaxing, happier than she had been since … she didn't even remember when.

Even driving to her place didn't bring her mood down. She felt invincible, smiling broadly, as if the night before hadn't happened. She was actually starting to think she was _thankful_ it happened, because she got her hot stuff back.

Her brow then furrowed a little, her spirits fell when she thought about his lifestyle. She started worrying, because she didn't want to be confronted by his conquests, which was bound to happen one way or another if she lived with him, but she also didn't want him to feel a stranger in his own home.

Watching her mood change when they were walking the stairs up to her apartment, Morgan stopped a moment, and turned her around to face him, his hands on her upper arms. When she wouldn't look up, he brought his hand up to her chin, raising it, his thumb caressing her cheek.

"Sweetheart, don't worry, it'll all work out, okay?" He had no idea how much she wanted to hear that, although she was sure he was just talking about the apartment. But somehow, she brought herself to believe they were going to be alright too.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

They spent the next few hours boxing up everything which hadn't been damaged by either water or fire, tossing away that which couldn't be recuperated. Morgan found himself enjoying himself, despite the task, and all of that was thanks to Penelope, who kept him entertained the whole time, telling him the stories behind pictures and trinkets, keepsakes and statuettes she kept throughout her apartment. He found himself falling even more for her. He held her when she cried after discovering the lamp her brother gave her when she left California was completely burnt.

"I was so lost back then," she mused between sobs, "He gave it to me so I'd remember I always have a light to guide me. And now it's gone."

He knew she didn't see her brothers anymore, not knowing what happened exactly though, so he just held her and let her cry.

"Perhaps this just means it's time to find them and get a new lamp?" he softly coaxed her to breathe regularly.

"They don't want to see me anymore anyway," she sniffed, "it's been too long!"

"How about you go and find out first?" he smiled against her ear, dropping soft kisses in her hair. He felt her shudder in his arms, and he held her closer.

"How? You think I should just go back and show up at their door?" she asked, leaning back, looking up at him with wonder.

"No, I'm saying _we _should go back and show up at their door," he smiled, watching her mouth form a little 'o'-shape when she realised what he was saying. She cupped his cheek in her hand, sat up a little and gave him a kiss on the other cheek.

"You really are the best, cupcake," she told him with a hint of longing in her voice. It took everything in him not bend over and kiss her for real, but fortunately for his willpower she stood up and started going through more of her belongings.

Soon they found themselves laughing at silly stories again, Morgan drinking in Penelope's words. There was so much to her he didn't know yet, and he was dying to find out more.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

As the afternoon was coming to an end, they found themselves sitting against Penelope's bed, looking at her box of old pictures. She was giggling, leaning against Morgan's shoulder, wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye.

Suddenly she sighed, looking at the last pictures to be put away.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? He asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"Nothing's wrong, darling, it's a happy sigh," she nestled her head back on his shoulder, sighing again. "It has just been so long since I was able to tell these stories."

"You should tell them more often," he told her affectionately, "it's nice to know Penelope Garcia has not always been such a badass."

"I have no one to tell them to though," she sighed again, but this time sadly, "Kevin thinks the past is the past and I should just get over it."

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry he's being like that with you," Morgan pulled her into his embrace, his hands on her nape, "You know I'm always there to listen though?"

"Oh hot stuff," she almost started crying again, something she had done entirely too much the last few days, but this time she had hope again. "You're too good to me."

"Nothing is ever too good for you," he smiled, he didn't know what possessed him but there was a sudden thick tension between them, and he bent closer towards her, resting his forehead against hers, unsure whether she'd let him kiss her or not, but she didn't protest either.

He silently cursed when her phone rang, and she jolted away from him.

"That's Kevin," she exclaimed, recognizing his ringtone, "I better get that one," she added almost apologetically.

**A/N: As you know, reviews are love and fuel my typing! **


	5. A night out

**A/N: Sorry, doing this as fast as I can, but I needed to write another fic yesterday, oops ;) Anyway, they're slowly, but surely moving into the right direction. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I figured that after writing until almost 6 AM with a promise of an early awakening by my little girl, I was entitled to it ;) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything! **

Morgan rested his head on the bed, running his hands over his face, then sitting up straight again, silently cursing himself. Almost. He almost kissed her. He almost lost control. And obviously, that was not what she was waiting for, given the speed with which she had jumped up to go answer the phone. Her boyfriend. Damned. He needed to remind himself, she had a boyfriend. Getting his hopes up was dangerous, no matter how much he believed in them. No matter how close they seemed all afternoon, it was a mistake. She was just vulnerable, and needed him, that was all there was to it.

"Oh my God, Kevin, I'm so sorry, it slipped my – No, no, of course not, it's her birthday," she apologized profusely, and Morgan cringed inwardly. Her apartment was half burnt out, the man hadn't even bothered to check on her or to actually answer her calls, and now he was making her feel guilty about missing his damn mother's birthday party? Shaking his head, he stood up and made his way into the living room, gesturing to her he was going to start loading the SUV.

Minutes later, she came down the stairs in front of her building, carrying two bags, an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm so sorry handsome, that was Kevin," she unnecessarily clarified once more, pointing behind her, "I forgot about his mother's birthday. I better hurry and get there." She sounded so sad, Morgan wanted to tell her she shouldn't go, that he wasn't worth it, that she deserved so much better. But he also knew he could tell her that until he was blue in the face, she'd never believe him, and she'd shrug it off like she always did.

Pen went back inside, her mind still reeling from the conversation she just had with her boyfriend. He hadn't even bothered to ask if she was alright, or where she was staying. If she needed anything. Instead he was annoyed she was late to help with preparations and would only show up for the official party itself, no amount of reasoning seemed to help. At the same time, she couldn't help but think of the kiss she almost shared with Derek. _If just the promise of a kiss makes me burn so vividly inside, what would a real kiss do? Consume me, crush me so I can rise from my ashes?_

She couldn't deny the obvious attraction there was between them, she was more than convinced there was. But he was her best friend, she kept telling herself, and he liked women who were very unlike her. He didn't feel that way about her, he'd made that clear over the years: he loved to flirt with her but that was where it stopped. She sighed. At least living at his place would let them become closer again, if that was all she could have, she'd take it.

Packing up the SUV as fast as they could, Morgan couldn't help but notice how her demeanor had changed. Gone were her enthusiasm, her spontaneity, her laughter and the stories she would tell. Instead, her shoulders slumped, and she seemed so lost in thought they barely spoke to him anymore. Against better knowing, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, squeezing her a little tighter against him when she shivered.

"Are you sure you should go?" he asked her softly, despite his earlier reluctance. But just as he feared, she turned around in his arms, and gave him a defeated smile.

"I do, I have no choice, hot stuff. It's really important to Kevin, and I already screwed up enough this week," she sighed wistfully, leaving the safety of his arms and walking towards the car. "Let's go, please, the rest can stay here until later."

Driving back to his place while she followed him in her old Esther, he vowed he'd show her she didn't screw up, he'd show her just how much she was loved, that she did have a choice. She could choose _him._

"It's okay, you go get ready," he turned down her offer to help unload the car. "I'll put everything in your room." He nearly slipped and said 'our' room, but he knew they were far from being there. Sighing, he went to work.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

"Momma, you look exquisite!" He whistled, to accentuate his statement, when she came down the stairs wearing a gorgeous white sundress with pink and green flowers, with a green wrap around her shoulders. To top her outfit off she was wearing high heeled strappy shoes which accentuated her legs. Her radiant smile told him his compliment paid off, and she went to kiss him on the cheek, but because he leaned down at the same time she was slightly off-balance and ended up kissing the corner of his mouth.

She stumbled backwards, blushing beet red, while Derek's lips were curled in a grin. Seeing her reaction though, he didn't know what to think when she scrambled out the door, barely saying goodbye. Then again, what was he supposed to think? They had that amazing chemistry going on, he knew that from the way his lips were on fire from barely a kiss, but twice now they almost went there for real and she ran away as if the devil was out to get her. Suddenly, he wasn't as resolved as he hand been to woo her. It did seem like she really loved Lynch. No matter what though, she needed her best friend so he would definitely be that for her, but while she was out with her boyfriend he might as well have some fun himself, so he went up the stairs to change for a night out on the town.

Penelope almost ran to her car, not even looking back. Yep, her lips were still tingling, and that from barely a kiss. She didn't know how he did it, and she was pretty sure she saw the heat rise in his eyes after that tiny moment of contact between them. For the hundredth time, she was starting to rethink their new living arrangements, as she slid behind the wheel of her car. She wasn't sure she'd be able to keep her hands off him, if their moments kept building up like this. But he didn't do relationships and being friends with benefits was going to ruin them, so she needed to find a way to get over these feelings, fast! At least seeing her boyfriend should keep her mind off thinking about her best friend like that, but the more she thought about it, the more she realised she wasn't excited or happy to see Kevin at all. Two days with Morgan, and she was spoiled already. Quelling those thoughts, she started the car and drove away as fast as possible, since she was late already.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Even though the promise of a night out should've made him happy, he didn't really look forward to the heavy drinking, dancing and flirting that would inevitably occur. He couldn't stop thinking about Penelope, and how sad she had looked, such a sharp contrast with their banter all afternoon. He needed a plan to cheer her up above all, regardless of any returned or unreturned feelings.

Almost automatically, he parked his car in the lot just off the street where the bar was situated, and walked the short distance separating him from his destination. When seeing the familiar Apple logo on a store, he suddenly knew what he had to do, and he hurried inside before they closed for the night. He knew what she wanted, he knew exactly which color – cherry red, just like her lips, he mused – and he also knew that getting her one would at least soften the blow of losing her saved up money and then losing one of her computers in the fire, as they discovered earlier. Sure, it was an old thing, barely better than a typewriter at that point, but she always affectionately called them her babies and cared for them accordingly. _She'd make a great mom_, the thought suddenly crowded his mind as he put a down payment on his order.

"You'll have it by Monday, Sir," the sales associate was all smiles at him, but he remained completely oblivious to her advances.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

"Come on, Morgan, she's been looking at you since you got here, what's the matter with you? Lost your game?" One of his drinking buddies, Matt, was teasing him relentlessly. Morgan hadn't even gone dancing, he'd just been downing one beer after another, making him rather tipsy in the process. He'd turned down the offers of two charming brunettes and a redhead earlier, and he couldn't be bothered going after the blonde Matt was talking about. The other man was starting to look worried; This was so not like Morgan at all.

"Are you alright, man? Andy, another of his friends, asked, slapping him on the back. He didn't really want to tell them about how he was now one hundred percent sure he was in love with his best friend, but he doubted his feelings were returned. They all met her when she had been out with them several times, they all teased him about his protective streak when it came to her – but none of them had even dared to hit on her not even in the most innocent way, despite all of them dying to do so – but they weren't exactly the guys who worried about feelings.

Putting his beer down, he decided to stop moping. He'd come here to change his mind, and instead he'd retreated in himself. And after all, Garcia was out with her _lover boy – _he always got a weird taste in his mouth when he thought of Kevin Lynch – so why would he sit around and worry?

Moving over to the dance floor, it didn't take him more than five minutes to seduce the more than willing blonde from earlier he now had his tongue down her throat of. It didn't satisfy him, he knew no kisses other than _hers_ would do, but he still tried to enjoy the moment and work out some tension, dancing close to – what was it she said her name was? Tina? Tanya? - feeling wanted, needed.

Gasping for air, he looked up at the table where his friends sat and immediately let go of her, pushing her away from him rather indelicately. Was it...? Pushing through the crowd, he discovered Penelope sitting on the bar stool he vacated earlier, being doted on by his friends. _"Damned,"_ he cursed inwardly, just when …

Within seconds, he had his arms around her, he could see she had been crying even though she was hiding it behind concealer and a large smile, but he knew her better than that.

"I'm so, so sorry, hot stuff, for interrupting your time out but you left a note and..." she apologized, having clearly seen him make out with – that was it, Tara! He didn't know how long she'd been there, but long enough to see everything anyway. Running his hands over his head, he briefly rested them on his face, to collect his thoughts. He was still a little buzzed from all the alcohol he had consumed in just a few hours, but he was sobering by the minute, thinking he had blown all his chances with her.

"You weren't interrupting anything," he quickly dismissed her thought, "but what about you? Weren't you having your own party with Lynch?" After all, she was with him, why did he feel he had to justify himself?

"I broke up with him," she answered honestly, a tear welling up in her eyes. He couldn't help himself, he started smiling, knowing that was probably the least appropriate reaction he could've possibly had, but he didn't care. She was free.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he offered, even though he was definitely not, and held her close.

When she leaned back a little to look at him, he noticed a slight smile curling her lips, she looked so good despite having cried earlier, and he wiped away the last remnants of tears from her cheeks.

And then he didn't know what possessed him right in that moment, but he bent over and kissed her, hard, on her lips, leaving no doubt about his intentions.

**A/N: Did you like? Reviews DO make me type faster. And later . **


	6. understanding

**A/N: So I felt sick, and was going to sleep early, and then these two would't stop nagging and I ended up writing 90 almost non-stop for an hour and a half. Ta-da! Longer than the previous chapters, but I didn't want to end up with two mini-chapters, the first one being all angst, so instead of splitting it, I kept the chapter together so you get a little love at the end :) yes, they're getting there! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I just play around a bit. **

"_Finally," _was all he could think. He knew it was too sudden, he knew it probably didn't leave a good impression, that the moment wasn't right, but the taste of her soft lips under his, the passion he felt growing between them, the overwhelming feeling of liberty he had finally dared to bridge the final gap between them. He knew it was the alcohol which had given him the courage, but it was the love he felt for her seeping out of him, urging him to continue, to caress her lips with his tongue, nibble sweetly before deepening the kiss when she moaned against his mouth, overcome with the sudden rightness. He brought his hands up to cup her face, tangling his fingers in her hair, while she rested hers on the small of his back, holding him close to her.

Penelope lost herself in that kiss, a culmination of all the pent up feelings which were a result of years of unrequited love, or so she thought. She had been thinking of him and the peck she involuntarily gave him earlier, and ultimately, when she considered all what had happened between her and her best friend since they knew each other, she realized she could no longer live a lie. Her heart belonged to him, there was no doubt about that, she knew there never had been a doubt about that. Spending the evening with her ever-so-loving boyfriend, hearing his barely veiled digs at her, lead to her moment of epiphany she was better off without him, no matter what. Even if Derek didn't return her feelings, it was okay. She had survived for so long admiring him from afar, she could continue doing so. But feeling the tenderness yet undeniable heat behind his kiss, her heart fluttered, the hope she had begun to feel the last two days in his company overtaking every rational thought. Kissing the love of her life was heaven, and it left her both addicted and starving for more.

Then the cat-calls and whistles coming from Derek's drinking buddies forcefully drug her back to reality. Suddenly, she became conscious of what exactly she was doing, where she was and most importantly, she remembered what had happened just before their kiss. She had come in, upset, she didn't see Derek but two of his friends had immediately noticed her – after all they kept an eye on the door to check out the women who were coming in, a habit she usually always shook her head at but she was thankful for today – and they had taken her under their wing, leading her back to the table. When asking where Morgan was, they had proudly boasted he had _done it again_, and pointed her to where her best friend was dancing with some skinny blonde model. She had been there long enough to see him start to kiss the girl, seducing her further. She had been ready to eclipse herself, so she wouldn't have to witness him leaving with her, when he looked up and saw her, ditching his protesting conquest. She felt a pang of guilt, especially when she noticed how drunk he seemed. She had rarely seen him like that, she knew he only did it when something was weighing really heavy on his chest, but for the life of her, she couldn't understand what. What she did understand though, was why he was kissing her. The alcohol, combined with his hero-complex when it came to her and being horny after the blonde from earlier, probably made him do things he'd never even consider when in his right mind. She had to stop this, now.

Pushing him away, her heart broke when she saw the confusion in his eyes, along with a silent plea to stay, but she couldn't, not when he had lost his inhibitions and probably would do things he'd regret the next day, breaking her heart in the process.

Morgan damned himself as he saw Penelope running out the door without looking back.

"FUCK!" he cursed, throwing his arms up in defeat, running his hands over his face. He screwed up. He screwed up big time, and now his love had run away from him, he probably scared her off with his brash action, with a love she didn't ask for. For crying out loud, she just broke up with a man she had shared her life with for close to three years, and all he could do was kiss her senseless. He would've sworn she kissed him back, but that was probably his delusional, love-drunk mind talking. _Fuck_.

"Way to go, Morgan!" Andy slapped him on his back, a big smirk on his face. "That was probably the smoothest move ever."

"Yeah, you really made one hell of an impression there, what, you lost your touch?" Matt laughed.

"Ah well, maybe she prefers a real man, next time just leave her to me!" Peter, another of his friends, taunted him.

"Next time? We'll be lucky she ever dares coming in here again!" Andy replied, watching Morgan amusedly.

Derek barely registered their words, just stared in front of him. When he looked up at his friends, the hurt overflowing his handsome face, they understood, and backed off immediately.

"I really love her," he spoke softly, they couldn't hear him over the beat of the music but they all understood what he was saying.

"Go after her!" Matt translated what they all thought, and Derek grabbed his jacket and took off, hoping to catch her in the parking lot.

When he didn't find his Baby Girl, nor Esther, he sighed, and stood defeated in the moonlight.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Driving home in Esther, Penelope could barely see the road through her tears. She didn't know anyone could shed as many tears as she had in the past few days, but she was determined to snap out of this state as soon as she could, because she was tired of the hurt, the anger, the heartbreak. She kept telling herself she was a big girl, she could handle this, she deserved real love, she needed to be strong, but when she pulled up in front of Derek's house, she couldn't bring herself to get out of her trustworthy old car so instead she texted Reid and JJ on their private phones to see if one of them would still be awake. She knew JJ only kept her work phone on when she went to sleep, so she wasn't worried about waking Henry, but she really needed to speak to someone right then, so she was contemplating trying her work number anyway when Reid replied. Sometimes there were advantages to having insomniac friends.

Ten minutes later a visibly tired Spencer opened the door of his apartment, wondering why Garcia was so upset she came over at almost midnight. Seeing the tear stains on her cheek, he quickly understood this was most probably about Morgan. Penelope never bothered to talk about Lynch with anyone, she knew they didn't particularly like him, and judging from the severity of her reaction this could only be about the man Reid was sure she loved.

"I'm so sorry, did I wake you?" She apologized immediately, but he waved her concerns away and invited her in. After pouring two glasses of bourbon, he settled on the couch across from the seat she sat in, and just waited for her to speak.

"He kissed me. One minute I see him all over some bimbo at the bar, and then he comes over, hears I broke up with Lynch and next thing I know, he's kissing me." She blurts it out, her eyes big, confused. Saying it out loud didn't make it any clearer for her.

"Well, while our customs in the Western world and our societal rules of conduct would have dictated he wait a little longer, the use of alcohol in one's system often makes them lose inhibitions they otherwise hold firm in place when sober. Morgan just finally acted on an urge he has felt probably since he knew you." Spencer simply stated, matter-of-factly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Truth is, it was, to him.

Penelope just blinked in response. While she would have preferred to discuss this with JJ, who was after all her best friend _and _ a woman, she still loved his insights but right then she wasn't entirely sure what Reid was trying to tell her.

"He is in love with you," Reid offered, noticing her confused gaze.

"What?" was all she could say.

"The man is crazy about you," he repeated. When she gave him an even more incredulous look as her answer, he rolled his eyes.

"Reid, you wouldn't recognize love if it hit you over the head with an encyclopedia in ten volumes," Penelope started to smile, quickly followed by her nerves dissolving into almost hysterical laughter, until she saw the hurt look on her friend's face.

"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," she profusely apologized, feeling terrible about herself. He was kind enough to open his door and listen to her at this hour, and she repaid him with mockery.

"It's okay, Garcia, really. I know you all see me as some sort of weird _kid_ who is pretty oblivious about the normal world, and half of the time, you are right, I may be not always be the first to catch on to every trivial matter, but I _am_ a profiler, and this one even I couldn't miss. The man is completely mesmerized by you, the simple mention of your name makes his face light up, he has that idiot grin on his lips when you call him some endearment, whenever he sees you he's off to the land of daydreams, and I'm pretty sure half of the cases we solve them so quickly because he wants to come home and have you hug him because you're glad he survived another day. He needs you to survive."

"_Again,"_ she thought, when she felt the now familiar prickling of tears behind her eyelids, but these were happy tears. "Thank you, _pretty boy_," she used Derek's nickname for the boy genius, a huge smile on her face now she understood his actions.

"Go after him," he smiled back, waving her out.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Completely sober now, Morgan was pacing his living room when he heard the familiar sound of Esther pulling up in his drive way. She hadn't answered her phone, and he was sick with worry, yet at the same time, he felt so hopeless. He had been completely out of line, and all he hoped was she would be willing to forgive him. For the past hour, he had been preparing his apology, he wasn't past begging her either. He rushed to the door, opening it before she could use her key. He expected animosity, perhaps tears, or even the silent treatment, but he wasn't prepared to be pushed back inside, he almost lost his balance but she steadied him, her hands balling his long-sleeved shirt.

"Is he right? Do you really love me?" she asked, breathless. She looked him straight in the eyes, she had to know, there was no turning back now.

"More than you'll ever know," he replied, truthfully, placing his large hands on her shoulders. She saw his eyes reflect his words, and she began to smile, confusing him even more.

"Good," she murmured huskily, stood on her tiptoes, and crashed her lips against his.

**A/N: Hmm, now that they finally seem to have gotten it, shall I continue? =) **


	7. together

**A/N: I'm so terribly sorry for not updating sooner. Truth is, RL caught up with me big time. Between work, preparing my daughter's 3****rd**** birthday party this weekend (eek my baby is turning 3!), her dad's aunt passing away, getting a new car, feeling under the weather and a short-lived break-up, it was pretty hectic this week. I will also get back to reviews as soon as I can, which will probably be AFTER the weekend. I won't be able to write a next update before that either, again, terribly sorry about it. Life is just what it is. **

**That said, glad you are sticking with me. I'm honestly overwhelmed and honoured by the reaction this piece got and will hopefully continue to get! You are the best, I don't know what I did to deserve it but it is very much appreciated :) You make me stay up until ungodly hours to still make that quick update despite needing sleep like no other ;)**

**Note: there's a little tag for chapter 6, you can read it here: ****.?#cutid2****. It is ****Hotch/Reid slash****, and explores where Reid learned what love is, written for ReadingYourThoughts. ****Please heed the warnings**** (scroll up slightly), it is pretty explicit, it's not for everyone, so abstain if that's not your thing. Just putting the link here in case someone reading here might be interested :) M-rated.**

**So, onwards with this. I upped the rating to 'M'. There was a big talk coming up, as well as a smutty scene, that much I knew. So I figured I'd give you the smut first, hopefully to make up for the long wait. I hope it doesn't suck (no pun intended) as it's late and I'm still new to this lol. Still nervous ;) Figured it was also nicer to you, as I won't be able to update really quickly and there's a bit more angst coming up, nothing bad though. **

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

The moment he felt her lips touch his, the world stopped turning for Derek Morgan. He didn't know where this was coming from, he didn't think he deserved this kiss after his inconsiderate actions earlier, and he had no idea what brought on her change in attitude from fleeing him to being the one who took control, but all of that didn't matter. Right now, he wanted this kiss to never end. He knew they needed to talk. It was perhaps still too soon, but he would take what he could get. He didn't want to be her rebound lover, which was what he had been telling himself while he was pacing his living room, but she tasted so sweet he didn't have it in him to protest, not for a second.

Instead, he ran his tongue over her bottom lip, taking his sweet time to explore every inch of her before deepening the kiss. Bringing his hands from her shoulders down her back to rest on her ass he pulled her flush against him, and she now finally let go of his shirt to cup the back of his neck, holding onto him as if she was afraid he'd disappear if she didn't keep him there. She gave as much as she took, almost overwhelming him with her eagerness, sending his head spinning in a way it had never done before. The kiss at the bar had been electrifying, forever making him hooked on her, but this one held a promise. This one was fireworks, and she had initiated it. Perhaps that was what made his heart sing so much. She wanted him. That at least was sure. And perhaps, perhaps she might love him the way he had loved her for all these years now.

When he finally came up for air, he cupped her face, his forehead leaned against hers; he could still feel her breath on his lips. She had her eyes closed at first, but when she opened them he felt his heart start running wild. There was so much love, so much trust in her gaze, he felt like the luckiest man on earth yet also terribly humbled, because he didn't know if he was worthy of such confidence. The last thing on earth he wanted to do was hurt her. He knew he was broken still … although she was rapidly healing him. She was his lifeline, his solace .. when looking in her eyes right then, he could see his future. He just hoped she saw hers too when she drowned in his onyx ones.

She blinked a couple of times, bringing Derek back from his reverie, when she let out a shaky sigh.

"Baby girl, are you alright?" he leaned back, to better see her, gauge her reaction. A quick moment of panic rose in his chest: what if she realised –_ again,_on top of that - that he wasn't good enough. If he saw the smallest sign of regret on her face, he was going to die right then and there, he was sure of it.

"I am now," she smiled at him, giving him small pecks on the lips to accentuate her words. "Now I know that you're not mad at me."

"Sweetheart, I could never be mad at you, not in a million years," he met her kiss for kiss, "I love you too much."

He still saw a flash of doubt and disbelief on her beautiful face when he said that, he knew he deserved it after his actions earlier. But he was also confident something in her changed, because that meant she was willing to take a chance on him, didn't it?

Morgan stopped thinking when her tongue softly licked his bottom lip, letting out a moan he just lost himself in the marvel that overcame him. It still felt unreal. And yet … when he felt her hands travel down his chest, tugging at his shirt to free it from his pants, it never felt so real in all his life to hold the woman of his dreams in his hands. Her hands traveled over his six-pack, his well-defined torso, setting him aflame wherever she touched. The slightest caress turned his world upside down as if he was a teenage boy again. Nobody ever had this effect on him. But then, he hadn't ever really been in love ever before either. Nobody compared to her, it was that simple.

She loved the texture of his skin, so different from hers, she had dreamed for so long about finally touching him like this, let her hands roam where previously she had to stop for fear of being out of line as just a friend. She didn't care now though, tracing the contours of his tattoos with her index, taking her sweet time exploring him. She felt like she had known him for forever, but she was discovering new things about him, bringing him closer to her. She'd have pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming if she didn't feel his hard body against hers, the press of his erection proof of his desire for her. She tried to memorize every instant of their kisses, for fear she'd never experience them again, she was sure she could live off the memory forever, they were that powerful. It still dazzled her that a man like Morgan would want her. Love her, even. It made her heart sing, because love made things so much better; with him she felt hot, sexy, wanton, instead of chubby and not good enough, with him she no longer thought she needed to settle. With him, her dreams came true, and she never wanted to wake up.

When she trailed her fingers over his nipples, barely touching him, traveling down, resting them on his waistband, he groaned, unable to control himself. He had wanted to keep the kisses light, to make sure she knew he loved her and wasn't just using her because he was horny or drunk, but there was something about her hesitant yet determined touch he couldn't refuse. He kissed her jawbone before nuzzling her neck, taking her delicate skin between his teeth, nibbling before soothing the spot with his tongue, trailing a path up to her ear, nipping at it. She moaned; that was it for him. He'd got wherever she wanted to go, no matter the consequences. Her moan had awakened something primal in him, and he pushed all rational thought to the back corner of his mind. He kissed further down, suckling, leaving marks, but he didn't care, and neither did she. Tonight she was his, and tomorrow he wanted proof it was not just another fantasy when she woke up in his arms.

His mouth followed the deep v-neck outline of her shirt, for a moment he rested his head on top of her perfect, heavy breasts while he cupped them underneath, lifting them. She ran her hands over his head, his neck, pressing him closer, letting out a startled cry when he suddenly sucked hard on her already raised nipples through the fabric of her shirt and bra. He looked up at her, her eyes closed, and captured her lips again in a kiss which soon turned frantic. He couldn't get enough of her, and neither could she get enough of him.

Stumbling backwards, they made it into his living room, falling on the couch, Penelope on top of Derek. She was straddling him, feeling his arousal hard against her wet core, and she ground her hips against his while she bent down to kiss him. When she started to take his shirt off, he sat up, pulled it over his head and started working on the buttons of her own shirt, looking her straight in the eyes to see if she really wanted this. She encouraged him with another kiss, full of anticipation, he only let go of her to slide her shirt off her arms, taking in the sight of her lace-clad breasts. He growled; she looked exquisite, but he needed more, and reaching behind her he undid the clasp of her bra with one subtle movement.

Baring her chest to him, Penelope suddenly felt more self-conscious. She was usually someone confident, who was used to having all attention on her when she walked in a room. She dressed the part too, always finding new, colourful outfits to compliment her curves. Being naked with a sculpted God like Morgan was something really different, but she quickly lost her insecurities when she saw the lust with which he was looking at her; he looked starved. There was no doubt about it: the man wanted her, and she wasn't going to protest that one second. Needing to feel him, she ran her hands up his chest to his neck, wrapping her arms around him, pressing him close. The feel of his naked skin against her breasts made the fire inside her burn even hotter, and she moaned while he left hot, wet kisses on her neck, softly biting her earlobes, pushing her away from him a little so he could trail his tongue down to her breasts, circling her beaded nipple, teasing it, while he brought his hand up to play with her other breast, massaging and tugging at her nipple, rolling it around between his fingers.

"_Damn, you are perfect,"_ he whispered before he sucked her nipple into the warmth of his mouth, it were the first words both of them had spoken since he had told her he loved her. "So, so perfect. And all mine." Penelope could hardly make out what he was saying, but she understood him nonetheless, growing wetter with every passing second under the experienced ministrations of his lips and hands, she was absolutely aching with need. She started working on his belt and the buttons of his trousers, leaving no doubt about her intentions. He groaned, his head spinning with the anticipation of what they were about to do. He reached under her skirt, and pushing aside her panties he thrust two fingers inside her, feeling how ready she was for him, making her gasp before she moaned, begging him to go on.

Morgan had fantasized so many times about his first time with Penelope, and this frantic, almost dirty lovemaking had not been part of his plans, but it was perfect. It was exactly what they needed after a night full of frustrations. He curled his fingers upward, using long and hard strokes until she was panting, her head leaned back, her mouth slightly open, and he thought he had never seen anything more sensual in his entire life. When she started bucking her hips into his palm he reached up with his thumb, pressing hard on her clit, keeping the pressure while he rubbed the bundle of nerves until moments later she exploded around him, riding her orgasm with his name on her lips; he instantly fell in love with that sound and vowed he'd hold onto it until his dying day. She fell back against the couch, her eyes closed, unable to speak, so he leaned forward, giving her butterfly kisses all over her face and neck before slanting his mouth over hers while he finally removed his fingers. Coming down from her high, she kissed him back, feeling the heat rise in her again. She reached down to his trousers, slipping her hand inside, wrapping it around his thick length, squeezing while she heard his breath hitch.

"I need you, Derek, _now_," she murmured hoarsely, stroking him. He didn't need telling twice, he didn't know how much longer he would be able to hold back if she touched him like that. He removed her remaining articles of clothes before making quick word of his own, dressing himself in all his naked glory in front of her. Not being able to wait any longer, she pulled him down on her, running her hands over his head, his back, his ass, pressing him as close as humanly possible, yet it wasn't enough, she needed to feel him inside of her.

"Derek, _please_," she nearly begged between kisses, eager to quell her thirst he pushed himself up on his arms, looking her intently into the eyes. She reached between them, guiding him to her entrance, moaning as she felt him enter her in one long stroke, resting there to let her adjust.

"I love you," he breathed, caressing her cheek, the love and lust shining in his darkened eyes, overwhelmed by how right she felt. He lifted her hips, and heard her gasp as she wrapped her legs around him and she felt him sink inside her a little deeper, filling her. Soon, he wasn't able to hold still, and he began to move in slow, long strokes, setting a rhythm she met thrust for thrust. She was clawing at his back, moaning loudly, his own moans becoming more ragged, and his control snapped. Pushing himself up against the armrests, he moved harder, faster, sweat coating his skin, until he felt her come undone under him, and just a moment later he followed her over the edge.

Panting, he lay down on her, his face nuzzled in her neck, while she wrapped her arms around him, pressing him against her, needing to feel him to keep her grounded after such ecstasy, and they remained there for a while, still intimately joined, reveling in each other's presence.

"I love you, too," she softly spoke against his ear, caressing his head as she was trying to catch his breath. She didn't miss his smile against her neck, and she smiled too in turn.

Long minutes later, he rolled off her, and stood up, taking her hand to pull her flush against him. Without saying a word, he lead her to the bedroom, where he joined her naked body under the covers, spooning her, holding her close while they both fell asleep.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

**A/N. *ahem* So, more? **


	8. running

**A/N: Okay, again, sorry for the wait. RL is kicking my behind. That said, this chapter totally got out of hand. It's double the length of the others, but since the **_**angst**_** also got out of hand, I figured I'd at least leave you with some sort of resolution. I'm totally a HEA girl though (but only when it comes to my fave ships) , so no worries. I think after this just a tiny bit more angst, but it'll be over much sooner. **

**As always, thanks a lot for all the reviews, alerts and favourites. It's awesome to get such a response! **

**Disclaimer: still don't own a thing. **

The next morning Penelope woke up disoriented, not recognizing her surroundings immediately. Her bedroom was painted blue, this one was cream. Also missing were the antique dresser and the huge picture frame she had brought over. Instead, she was looking at blank walls, and a closet door. Puzzled, she pushed herself up to a sitting position, rubbing her eyes. When she heard soft snoring behind her, and became aware of the arm around her waist, it hit her.

She slept with her best friend.

She gasped, trying to process the thought. Feeling how sore she was all over, the images came flooding back. The couch, going to sleep naked in his bedroom, waking up just a few hours later and making love again in the early morning – because that was really what it had been to her, she clearly remembered the whispered promises shared between moans – before falling asleep again, securely held in his arms while he whispered words of passion and need. She smiled when thinking of them, but then doubt started to set in.

After her conversation with Reid she had been so confident. Determined to get what she was after, and she had succeeded – multiple times. But sitting up in bed, feeling so exposed, his perfect form dark against the sheets, the sunlight hitting her hard, she couldn't help but feel her confidence shrink.

He had been drunk, horny,and worried about her after she stormed out of the bar. And heck, she knew there had been so much sexual tension between them for years, it scared off most people, and it was a constant source of dispute between her and Kevin.

Oh God, Kevin. Ever since they had gotten together, her boyfriend had been jealous of Morgan, telling her it wasn't normal she flirted so much with him, that she dropped everything whenever Derek even hinted at needing her, that she idolized him. He told her to get over her crush, that it would never happen, and that's exactly what she had done. Well not quite gotten over it, but become better at hiding it, pushing it back to the corner of her mind where she could control it. She had even withdrawn from Morgan, seeking his company less and less, favoring going out with Kevin, playing the perfect girlfriend, adapting to him and his habits, his style. The less she saw Morgan, the better it was anyway, as he was a constant reminder of what she wanted but could never have, and even worse, it showed the contrast with her boyfriend. She knew she settled with Kevin, but at least she knew it was relatively safe, and she wanted a normal relationship. She wanted commitment. House, pets, babies. Everything Derek Morgan didn't stand for. Or was that really it?

Carefully extracting herself from under Morgan's arm, she quickly jumped out of the bed, slightly startled when he groaned but relieved when he seemed to fall back asleep immediately. She figured he must be seriously hungover, but maybe that played in her advantage. Back into the guest – her – bedroom, she quickly dressed, putting her hair in a simple ponytail, grabbed her purse and phone and left the house. She needed to think. She needed time to figure out how she would get over him, how she would be able to live with the memory of that fantastic night yet see him pull one stick-thin, perfectly shaped, interesting woman after another. How this couldn't ruin their friendship. How she would manage to live at his place without things being beyond awkward. She cursed herself for letting it go so far – for letting a kiss making her head spin so much she ran to a friend and coworker for advice at midnight – for ruining their relationship.

Feeling the wind on her face, the gentle sun rays on her skin, the fresh river air filling her nose, she started to feel better physically, not so sleepy and sore, but her heart kept breaking over and over. She just couldn't figure out how to make things better.

Maybe, she thought, maybe she needed to call Kevin and make amends, and then move in with him while she hired people to make quick work of her apartment.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

As soon as she left the bed, Derek woke up, slightly confused about whom ran out of his bedroom like a thief in the night. But the lingering smell on his pillows, heck, all over his bed and even on his skin, immediately taught him who it was. That unique scent, was none other than the woman of his dreams, and she had jumped out of the bed as if she just discovered it was infested with her worst nightmare.

He buried his pounding head into his pillow, trying to clear his mind, but the memories of the night before wouldn't go away. That first kiss, at the bar, how stupid he had been, how he hadn't been able to stop himself. The worry, when she wasn't at home, not at hers, and she didn't answer her cell. The relief, when he heard her car in the driveway, the feeling of pure joy and ecstasy when she had asked him if he loved her, the tenderness with which he had responded, the passion of their kisses, the urgency of their need for each other, every single detail of the their lovemaking was etched into his brain. He would die hanging on to those moments, whither away while waiting for another such perfect night. It wasn't just fantastic sex – and it had been mind blowing, at least for him, although he was pretty sure she felt the same – for him it transcended everything physical, he really felt like they had joined on a spiritual level too, confirming his thought she was his soul mate, the one and only for him.

Clearly, he had been wrong. He heard her grab some things in her bedroom down the hall, then run off the stairs and close the front door. All in all, it hadn't taken her five minutes to hurry out of his house, the place he finally felt at home despite her only being there for two days. He didn't know what hurt worse – losing her to another man, seeing her share her life with him, or finally having her and losing her right away. On second thought, he voted for the latter. It was worse, knowing what he was missing. Much, much worse. Before, he fantasized about everything they could be together. Now, he no longer had to. Now he was hooked, he was like a junkie craving a dose. Now, his heart was ripped to pieces. He, the player, the tough guy, the big bad BAU agent. The invincible one. He could kick down doors, tackle the most dangerous criminals, talk the cleverest among them round to bend to his will ... and here he was, nearly annihilated, unable to breathe when he heard the woman he thought he was going to spend the rest of his life with run out of his life.

Sighing, he decided to go for a run to clear his head. He's run off his hangover, and the physical exercise might help him take his mind off everything. Forget a little. Wincing as he got up, he quickly donned a pair of sweat pants and a wife beater, grabbed a large bottle of water and then pulled the door closed behind him.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Penelope didn't know how long she had walked, but she knew it was too far. And she still didn't know what to do. Where to go. What to think, whether she should regret last night or not. No, she was pretty sure she didn't regret finally acting on all of their chemistry. But she did regret ruining their friendship. There was no way she could face Morgan. She'd ask to transfer out, so it wouldn't be awkward with the team. She had proven herself well enough the FBI upper echelons wouldn't keep her back, on the contrary. Maybe she could start over somewhere fresh. Or go back to California, there was a BAU-team in San Francisco now she had worked with before.

She needed to call Kevin. Or maybe not. She couldn't tell him she slept with Morgan after two days at his house, that she broke up with him because even if she couldn't have Morgan, he still showed her she deserved someone considerate. But now she saw no way out. She couldn't tell anyone from the team either. Reid made it clear yesterday he believed in Morgan, and JJ and Emily had been teasing her about him for ages. And she just didn't feel comfortable confessing how she messed up to Hotch or to Rossi.

She halted in front of a bench, sitting down on it, contemplating the water in front of her. Normally it always eased her, but today she just couldn't get her thoughts to stop racing. There was too much she needed to think of. Instead, she focused on her cellphone, hesitating to hit 2 on her speed dial.

Even on her phone, Kevin came second.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Derek kept running, pushing himself to his limit, trying to run so hard his mind would only focus on his physical pain, and at least let him forget a moment about the emotional wound Penelope had inflicted when she ran out of the house. He had taken a longer route towards the river, but as always he ended up running along the water. Normally it had a soothing effect on him, but today it only inspired melancholy, not really helping him with his goal to put his brain to rest. He remembered every time he'd come here with her to talk, sitting on a bench or a blanket, she'd be wrapped up in his arms, and they'd just share food and conversation, laughing until it became dark and they'd stargaze until they nearly fell over. But that was so long ago, back when he thought he did have a real chance with her. Before she met Lynch. She certainly never ran away from _him_, on the contrary. She hadn't even told him at the time, he found out because Lynch went to talk to Rossi after the man dropped by Pen's apartment and caught them together.

"_Damned," _he cursed inwardly. He was starting to feel sorry for himself, at the same time he figured he'd have it coming, unrequited love, oh the irony. How many girls hadn't he disappointed with his "no strings attached" attitude. Payback was a bitch.

His breath hitched when he saw her sitting on the bench they had often shared when they came to the Potomac, the view was gorgeous from there. It awoke a tiny bit of hope in his chest, even if she didn't come here consciously, it was still a place they shared so many wonderful memories at. But she wasn't looking at the water, instead, she was staring at her phone, as if willing it do do _something._ He knew that look. She didn't know what to do, and it broke his heart.

Walking up closer to her, he could hear her mumble, talking to herself. She didn't see him, she was too wrapped in her thoughts, and he didn't want to scare her.

"Come on, Garcie, how hard can it be? Just beg him to take you back..." was all he heard her say, and his hope disappeared faster than he could even blink. She was trying to find a way to go back to Lynch. He made her forget for a night, but she could never be his.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Penelope was trying to talk some courage into herself, convince herself to do something she absolutely loathed to do, just so she could save herself from more heartbreak. Nothing could be worse than this feeling anyway. And at least she'd have a roof over her head. She couldn't afford a hotel for that long. Maybe the FBI would be able to put her up until the work was done?

She was startled by the noise of snapping twigs not far from her, immediately her heart started racing. In her line of work this never meant anything good, but she was surprised to see Derek taking a few steps backwards, walking away from her.

"_Shit, he heard me,"_ she mentally chided herself, knowing it probably made her case even worse with him. Her eyes searched his, and she was even more surprised to see the obvious hurt there.

"Derek, I..." She didn't know what to think of it, or what to say, but she also couldn't just let him go. Seeing him only confirmed that. She couldn't ever let him go.

"It's okay, Garcia," he answered coldly. "I understand. You needed release, I was there. Don't worry, my lips are sealed, I won't tell him." It hurt him to say it, but he needed to guard himself. Seeing her cringe under his words, he hated himself for it, but he felt he had no choice. Even though he'd much rather take her in his arms and kiss her senseless.

"No, Handsome," the endearment rolled off her tongue as if nothing happened, "it wasn't like that, _not like that._" She was talking to his back now, but she felt she needed to justify herself. The way he said it, sounded like she just used him. She'd never do that.

"Then what was it, _baby girl_?" he snapped, using his preferred nickname for her with biting sarcasm, "you figured you'd play with my feelings a little before going back to your lover boy?" He knew how it sounded, but he didn't care. He was hurt, he was lashing out. He still had until Monday to regain control of himself.

"What feelings, Morgan? The ones you had for that blonde you were all over before seeing me?" she retorted, getting angry herself. _She_ was the one hurt here, how did he even da- Then she understood. He was upset for the same reason she was upset. "I'm sorry, that was..."

"No, I deserve that one," Morgan interrupted her, deflated a little. "Why'd you run away from me?"

"Because I don't want you to hurt me. I'm in love with you," she whispered, nearly inaudible but she felt she owed him the truth. It was no use fighting anyway. She'd never get over him, so she might as well play all her cards. She didn't expect his reaction though. Within a second, he was sitting on his knees in front of her, his hands on both sides of her head, looking deeply into her eyes.

"I'm in love with you too," he whispered back, before taking her lips in a searing kiss she answered with all she had in her.

**A/N: so, want more? Want it fast? Lol **


	9. passion

**A/N: Sorry that wasn't as fast as I hoped it would be, but here it is! Okay, it's sort of gratuitous, I **_**guess, **_**but BonesBird wanted smut so smut it is, in public even. *shrugs* you ask, I write lol … so their talk has been delayed a little, but it's nothing bad, honestly :) I think they're well on their way to their HEA now, with some minor interruptions. We'll see where it goes, eh? **

**As always, many thanks for all the reviews, alerts, favorites … they mean so much to me, it's what keeps me dabbling in fandom really (that and they won't let me go *shifty eyes*) **

**Disclaimer: None of it belongs to me, unfortunately. **

Feeling his lips on hers, the world stopped turning momentarily for Penelope. All morning, she had been playing worst case scenarios in her head, feeling down on herself, wallowing. It was very unlike her, but when it came to Derek, she didn't always think very rationally. Quite the opposite, in fact. But when he lowered his hands to rest at her nape, tilting her head to deepen the kiss, she finally allowed herself to just feel. Gone were her insecurities, dark thoughts, nightmares of disaster. She deserves this, she had to believe that. Derek wasn't Kevin – he never, ever gave her a reason to doubt him, not where she was concerned.

Morgan couldn't get enough of her. He couldn't believe she was running from him, that she was actually so desperate to get away that she contemplated calling Kevin again. It broke his heart when he heard that – if it was even possible to break what was left of it after discovering his empty bed that morning- but that faint whisper, she was in love with him, did away with all the heartache. Derek Morgan had never been a man of big feelings, preferring the chase, a new conquest on his arm every time he went out, feeling alive when women were all over him when he was dancing. Not remembering the name of the woman whose bed he left in the early morning while she was hopefully still asleep. Not caring about the string of broken hearts he left behind. He didn't think he could ever go back to that though, not now he finally had Penelope in his arms. "_Now that she is mine_," he kept repeating in his head. It was the sweetest melody he ever heard.

Their kisses grew frantic, as if they needed to exorcise all the pent up hurt, worry, and anger, and feeling the other was the only way they let themselves believe this was real. They needed the reassurance, that it was not a dream, not another fantasy only leading to frustration when it was over. There were too many questions left to accept their forever, but right now, the only answers which counted were wordless exchanges of passion as his tongue swept over her lips, inside her mouth, exploring her as if they'd never do anything else in this life again.

"I need you," she moaned softly against his ear when she came up to breathe for a moment, her lips ghosting over his skin, sending shivers down his spine. He had already been overheated from running like a fool, but that was nothing compared to the flames she ignited with her tongue, her hands running over his arms, his back, soothing his intense craving for her but just for a moment as he longed for her touch as soon as she moved to another area. He needed to feel her everywhere against him, be consumed by her, it was stronger than himself. His emotions that morning had ran him ragged, and now all he wanted was to be buried inside of her, to be the closest he could possibly be to her, and from her greedy kisses, he could tell that was what she wanted too.

His fingers trailed the outer side of her legs, from her knees up, hiking up her skirt for better access. She didn't care they were out on the river, the reason they liked this particular area was because barely anyone ever ventured so far out there. It was their own little piece of heaven sometimes, and Penelope damn well intended on taking that tradition a step further. Biting his neck, leaving love bites down his throat to his collarbone, she incited him to run his hands under her skirt, cupping her ass, playing with the lace trim on her panties. He felt how wet she was through them, and he groaned. He didn't think he'd have it in him to walk back home, yet he hesitated, out here they could be caught, but how could he resist her when she looked like that, so hot and ready for him, and he felt his erection throb, aching for her. They only shared last night yet on such an intimate level, but it had been building up for so many years of teasing and flirting, so many years of wanting her, being in love with her, that he was already addicted.

Any and all thoughts of stopping left his mind when she bent down, her face nuzzling his neck, her fingers lingering a moment on his waistband before dipping into his sweatpants and boxers and she wrapped her hand around his cock, squeezing, running her thumb over his head while stroking him, almost teasingly but hard enough to leave no doubt about her intentions, the way her breathing was ragged in anticipation, the way she moaned encouragements between gasps as he pushed the fabric from her panties aside and ran his finger over her slit, teasing before thrusting inside and adding a second finger, hell, the _perfection_ of the moment in the afternoon breeze made him utterly lose any semblance of control he still clung to. He bucked his hips into her hand when she increased the pressure on his dick, running her fingers up and down, massaging, echoing the rhythm of his own fingers inside her tight core. He croaked his fingers upwards, making her moan loudly; she threw her head back, and Derek didn't think he'd ever seen a more beautiful sight, her face illuminated by a sunray, making her seem even more like a goddess, her red lips parted, she was biting her tongue not to moan too loudly, her eyes were shut. She was close, so close, he could feel it by the way her legs slightly trembled, and she let go of him, but he didn't care, he was way too focused on her pleasure to care about his own. He could wait, if he got to see her shatter under his skilled ministrations.

It was almost too much for him to take. When he raised his thumb to play with her clit, pressing hard on the bundle of nerves, she convulsed, and he raised his other hand to her neck to bring her lips to his, just in time to stifle her cry with a kiss. She sagged against him, and he held her and kissed her while she came down from her high. When she came by a few moments later, she wrapped her arms around him, drawing him close into her embrace, holding on to him so tightly he couldn't help but smile at the thought she needed him so much.

"I want you," she whispered to him, her hands moving down to his pants again.

"Here?" he hesitated while his erection grew harder from the thought only. She nodded against his shoulder, pushing his sweats and boxers down, freeing him while he cupped her ass and moved her closer to the edge of the bench, her legs wide open, ready to take him in as he positioned himself at her entrance and pushed in, inch by inch, leaving her the time to adjust to him, until he was finally fully buried inside of her. He stilled for a moment, overwhelmed by the feeling of belonging, but when she started kissing him, leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses down his jaw to his neck, up to his ear where she took his earlobe between her teeth and bit him before sucking it to soothe the sting, he started a frantic rhythm. He'd wanted to take his time with Penelope, but it seemed to be impossible to resist her. Derek was born pretty much shameless, but sex in a public place was not something he particularly sought out – you never knew who might catch you – yet it seemed he had no willpower whatsoever when it came to her. He needed the release just as much as she did.

Penelope clawed at his back, meeting him thrust for thrust, moaning into his ear, encouraging him to go faster, harder, until he saw black in front of his eyes, he was so close but he didn't want to go over without her, so he held on to the last shreds of sanity he still possessed. She was driving him absolutely crazy, the feel of her so tight around him, and when he looked down at them he couldn't take it anymore.

"Oh fuck, baby, come for me," he panted against her ear, and two, three long strokes later she shuddered in his arms, taking him along to his own completion with her name on his lips. Catching their breaths, he remained slumped against her, until he became painfully aware of the ache in his knees, and he pulled out slowly, not really wanting to, and quickly pulled his sweats back on while she readjusted her skirt with a shy smile to him as he sat down on the bench next to her, rubbing his bad knee with one hand, wrapping the other arm around her.

He kissed her temple, and for a while they just sat there, in silence, enjoying each other's company and the silence around them, now finally letting the soothing feeling of the water wash over them.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

After what seemed like an hour, Penelope was the first to speak, her head still resting on Derek's shoulder,, her hand idly resting on his chest, playing with the fabric of his shirt.

"I can't believe I...we did this," she looked up at him with big wide eyes, as if the realisation just set in. Derek chuckled, _he _ had been the one with the most – albeit still very little – reservations and she was the one questioning their sanity. "What?" she slapped his chest as she heard him laugh.

"Having seconds thoughts, Goddess?" he asked her teasingly, but she quickly sat back, an apologetic look on her face, and he immediately regretted his words.

"No!" she blurted out, "I don't … Handsome, I'm so sorry for running out this morning, I just..." her voice trailed off, she felt a little ashamed of telling him how little faith she had in him. She still didn't believe him fully he really was in love with her, but she was willing to take a leap of faith and take this, whatever it was between them, as far as he would let her.

"Sweetheart, Penelope, it's okay, it's okay, I love you, we don't need to talk about this right now," he soothed, scooting closer to her again, wrapping his arms back around her, rubbing her back.

"We do need to talk though," her voice came earnestly, not as shaky as before. He eased back a little, took her face between his hands, and looked her deep into the eyes, trying to convince her of his earnest.

"We do, baby girl," he used his oldest nickname for her, "We do need to talk, but first, you have to know that I really do love you. Got that, hard head?" The way she smiled at him, he could tell she was letting herself hope, and he mentally kicked himself for causing her all the heartache, for letting her believe he wasn't the kind guy who would want her all those years back, for giving her an image of him as a player and nothing more. He had been afraid to settle down back then, felt he needed to play the field a bit more before starting a family, but when he realised all he could've had all those years, he only understood how wrong he had been.

"I love you too, my chocolate God," she told him earnestly, and his heart soared, so thankful he maybe had a second chance with her after all. "Let's go home, and talk." It was his turn to nod, and he tried to stand up to pull her into his arms, but his knee gave out under him, weakened as it was from the uncomfortable position it had been in on the ground.

"Oh goodness, Derek, I'm so sorry," she apologized in a panic, but he steadied himself, slightly leaning on her, and massaged his knee until it behaved better. She fluttered around him, feeling guilty about his pain, but he kept reassuring her he had wanted it just as much as she had, and he could take it, he would just need to keep his knee elevated for the evening with some ice on it.

Supported by her arm around his waist, they took their time to walk back to his apartment, Penelope remaining attentive to each and every grimace or wince, no matter how many times he told he r he was okay, she was intent on getting him home and pampering her. And to be honest, he was looking forward to it. Years ago he'd have cringed at the idea of spending a Saturday inside when they weren't on a case, but now he couldn't imagine a better perspective.

When they finally arrived, she helped him up the stairs to the bathroom, where he took a quick shower to wash off the sweat of his run and their lovemaking. He then settled on the couch with the ice pack and beer she brought him, looking at her with love and enjoying how much she looked after him. While it was her turn in the shower, all he could do was contemplate on how he'd gotten so lucky that a woman as exceptional as his baby girl had even noticed him in the first place, and even better, cared about him and even loved him. He had a hard time wrapping his brain around it, as a profiler he was trained in recognizing every aspect of human behavior but she had always been a mystery to him. He couldn't wait pierce it though, and he was lost in daydreams about her when she plopped down on the couch next to him, her own beer in hand, smelling all fresh mixed with strawberries. He smiled at her, and she grabbed his hand, running her thumb over his palm, still marveling at the thought she could actually do this now.

"Sweetheart, do you want to talk now?" she asked, bending over him to press a soft kiss to his lips.

**A/N: Still want more? Let me know what you think :) **


	10. the talk

**A/N: Oops, sort of got side-tracked. But, here it is! A little birdie is solely responsible for the last few paragraphs, *ahem*. I first intended it to be just the talk but things sort of got out of … hand, I guess ;) **

**Disclaimer: none of the characters belong to me, they belong to CBS and I only get to play with them a little. Alas. **

"You want to talk now?" he kissed her back, his hand on her shoulder, caressing her neck and jaw with his thumb, "Okay, let's talk."

She had prepared this whole speech in the morning. How she understood he had been confused, and horny, and she had been there, nothing more than an able, willing, body. How she didn't want to lose her best friend and could he please just try and forget about what happened, and continue to rock her world, even if from a strictly friends stance. But how she needed time to get over him, and for that, she'd need to move out again. Two days at his place, and she had fallen even deeper than before, she was completely and utterly in love. She wanted to tell him that she knew, deep down inside, that he wasn't the type of man to settle down for one woman. That she shouldn't have come back for him.

Now, however, she didn't know what to say. She had just blurted that out, that she was in love with him. It was the truth, and she had felt she owed him at least that. And then, the unthinkable had happened. He'd replied that, he too, was in love with her. And he'd kissed her. So hard she threw out any and all rational thought and they – and she blushed at the though – had made love in a public space. As FBI agents, they knew better. As people in love, they hadn't been able to stop, it was stronger than themselves. Garcia had never experienced such want, such _need_ before. She had always been able to control herself. Approached sex and lust pragmatically: there was a time and place for everything. Not so with Derek. There had always been this tension, like a soft electrical current, floating between them. They had balanced on that fine line between a very deep friendship and a relationship as lover for years, careful not to build the tension up too much. They flirted shamelessly, loved on each other, cared for each other, but they never went there. Right now she kicked herself for not doing this sooner. At one point, she had thought that sleeping with him would be cathartic: they'd be able to get it out of their system, and then they would be able to go on. Now she knew that was the stupidest thought ever to enter her conscious mind. There was no way just sleeping once or even twice or thrice or three hundred times with Morgan was enough. She'd never get her fill of him, not in a lifetime.

But how was she supposed to tell him she was addicted? That she wanted to share her life with him? She couldn't, could she? That would just scare him away, it wasn't for him.

Morgan was observing her intently, yet he played it off as casual as possible, not wanting to put any extra pressure on her. He saw she was nervous, and he hoped it had nothing to do with her having second thoughts, but he couldn't fathom why she'd have told him she was in love with him only to regret it later. Unless … When she wrapped her arms around herself, he was certain. She was simply trying to protect herself, and he mentally kicked himself for the 100th time, for his behaviour with women in front of her over the years, for never giving her the impression they could have something more, for being such a jerk to her right before she was shot, having pushed her into the arms first of a killer then of the computer geek who had replaced her while she was in the hospital. For not stepping up back then. Since he couldn't turn back time, all he could do was making sure she understood now though. No matter the outcome, he needed her to believe in him.

"Baby?" She looked up when he woke her from her daydream, bit her lip. Took a deep breath. He flashed her a huge smile, she was so terribly cute when she did that. It worked to relax her a little, as her lips curled slightly, and she slapped his arm.

"What's so funny, Agent Morgan?" she asked, mock-hurt, but with a hint of insecurity.

"You are, sweetheart," he answered, tenderly, scooting closer to her, wrapping her in his arms, relieved when she answered his embrace and her arms went around his waist, her head resting on his chest. "Have you forgotten who you are talking to?"

She shook her head, unsure of what he was saying.

"Penelope, I'm your best friend. You can tell me everything. _Everything_, period. Even if you think I'm not going to like it, I could never be mad at you, or give up on you. Got that?" He sat back, cupping her face in his hands, looking her straight in the eyes. She nodded. "Then what is wrong? I know we need to talk, we need to clear all of this between us, but what are you afraid of?"

"That you'll break my heart," she murmured, almost inaudibly. Honesty had been her best course of action so far, so she decided to just go through with it. She heard him groan before she saw the hurt on his face, then the understanding. She gasped, she wasn't sure why, but he brought his face to hers, until his forehead was touching hers.

"You are the one who is more likely to break mine, Goddess," he surprised her with how vulnerable he sounded. "This isn't just some sort of infatuation or sudden desire, for me, this is the culmination of seven years of wanting you, first as a crush, but then as the love of my life. And I'm sorry if I overwhelmed you with it, but when I heard you were free, I just … I know I lost my inhibitions that night, and that I probably didn't give you the best impression of me but..."

"Derek..." she caressed his cheek, a lump in her throat when hearing him saying what she wanted him to say for years now.

"Hear me out, baby, please," he smiled softly, "I never want you to doubt that you are the one for me, I know how I acted in the past, I know my reputation, I know I kissed a random girl before kissing you, but you have to believe me that none of that means anything compared to what I feel for you."

A tear escaped her eye, rolling down her cheek, and she noticed his eyes were rather glassy too, making her smile despite the emotion overtaking her.

"Handsome, you have no idea how many times I have wished for you to say this over the years," she reassured him with her kiss, soft, tender, conveying her love rather than her lust. He looked so young, suddenly, as if she was his first love and he was afraid of that special sort of heartbreak that helps shape the rest of your love-life. He needn't worry though.

"I just never … I didn't want to make you hurt if you were happy with Lynch," he admitted, "And I'm just not that good with feelings, so since I didn't step up I figured I passed up on my chance and I had to respect your choice, and I did, I do, I just..."

"Shhh," she soothed his hurt expression, "There's no use having regrets. We're here now, right?"

It was his turn to nod now, before she took his lips in a tender kiss. Her soft pecks reassured him, conveyed her love for him, made him hope. He'd bared his heart, and she hadn't run, on the contrary, she was sitting in his lap now, her face nuzzled in his neck, running her fingers along his arm and his chest.

"I just need you to believe in me," he confessed, his voice raw with emotion.

He felt her smile against his skin, wordlessly showing him she did believe in him before she answered him, to take away any and all doubt.

"I've always believed in you, and I believe in us." It was his turn to smile, and he dropped a kiss in her hair, pulling her closer if that was even possible.

He loved how comfortable she was with him, how he didn't feel like the silence between them was oppressive. He just sat there long moments, treasuring the feeling of having her in his arms, her soft touches, that unique scent that was so typically hers and he couldn't get enough of.

"I've been in love with you since you called me Baby Girl for the first time," she breached the silence after several minutes, suddenly sitting up, almost agitated, looking at him with wide eyes as if the realisation just hit her. He frowned, not knowing what had her so worked up all over sudden, questioning her with his eyes.

"I just gave up on you ever coming around. I gave up on _you_. The best thing in my life and I gave up on it. And I was wrong," Penelope spoke with a quivering bottom lip, chastising herself.

"Hey now, you said it yourself, no regrets baby," Derek pulled her back against him, lightly rocking her in his arms. "I loved you then, I love you now, that's what counts."

"I love you too, hot stuff," she echoed his feeling.

When she shifted against him, he wanted to stretch but instead winced as a jolt of pain shot up from his leg. Garcia noticed immediately, jumping up to grab another ice-pack from the freezer.

"I'm so sorry, hot stuff, I wasn't really thinking," she mumbled while putting a wrap around it and applying it to his knee, "I shouldn't have..."

"Will you hush, I'm old and big enough to make my own decisions and I didn't exactly stop you," he beamed, enjoying the attention much more than the pain. What annoyed him most was the fact he needed to let his knee rest if he wanted it to heal and that kept him from properly loving on Penelope. The thought alone made him hard, and he moaned slightly in frustration.

"Sorry!" Penelope exclaimed when she heard him, "Did I push too hard? I can try and massage it if you want to or I could maybe try with some heat, there's a cherry heat pack..." She rambled, yet he couldn't stop thinking how adorable she was.

"The only thing hurting me right now is that I can't repeat our park experience in a more intimate place," he teased her huskily, the heat flashing in his eyes despite his injury.

"Hmmmm, that is a shame indeed," Penelope pouted, her ruby red lips pursed, her hand traveling over the bulge in his pants, bending over him to kiss him. His already straining erection grew even harder under her soft strokes, and she was barely touching him. The woman was magic, he had no other explanation. She was nipping at the skin of his neck, licking down to his shoulders, then up again to his earlobe, sucking it into her warm mouth then releasing him again to travel down to his chiseled chest, teasing with her tongue, twirling it around his nipples, hearing his breath hitch and become more shallow as she increased the pressure on his dick.

His eyes grew wide when he suddenly felt her mouth leave him, and she sat down on her knees in front of him, tugging his pants and boxers down in one swift movement, baring him completely.

"Sweetheart, no, you don't have to, I meant,..." he weakly protested, giving up almost immediately when he felt her tongue run up his shaft, "It's o- oh fuck," he groaned when she licked him up and down, taking her sweet time to explore his length in detail.

"I just _want_ to," she muttered, before she swirled her tongue around his tip, wrapping her lips around him, sucking lightly before taking as much as she could of him in her mouth. She started a slow but sensual rhythm, sliding up and down, trailing her tongue over his thick erection. As she felt him grow even harder under her lips, she brought her hands up, raking her nails lightly over his inner thighs before bringing them closer to his straining erection.

When she moved one hand to stroke his base while she kept sucking in earnest, he hissed, not sure how much longer he would last. The sight of her with her red lips around his dick, her head slightly cocked to the side, her eyes closed, humming softly, was better than any of his fantasies. She finally wrapped her hand around him, massaging him, increasing the pressure of her mouth, and his hips bucked. His head fell back, resting on the back of the couch, his eyes closed, the sensation was too much for him. He'd never experienced a sensation as strong as this, never encountered a woman who made him feel like this, who seemed to really enjoy giving him so much pleasure. The way she lightly hummed against his throbbing dick, her movement, it was all too much and when she started long, hard strokes matched with her sucks, he knew he was done with.

"Sweetheart, stop, I'm gonna...," he moaned, but instead of pulling away she increased her speed, her mouth so wet and warm, tightly around him, and he knew he was done with, so he just closed his eyes again and felt her take over his senses. A few strokes later, he came hard, riding out his orgasm while she licked him clean before letting go of him and curling up on the couch besides him. He lay there panting, barely aware of his surroundings, just of her hand trailing little circles over his chest. When he came back down, he pushed himself up on his elbows, his body angled towards her, he tangled one hand in her mussed hair and brought her closer to him for a kiss.

"Wow, Pen, that was..." he murmured against her lips, sitting back a little, shaking his head. He had no words, making Garcia smile like the cat who ate the canary.

"I like having you at my mercy," she concluded with her huge grin, and went back to kissing him.

**A/N: next chapter(s): back to work on Monday, and possibly running into Lynch, and maybe a rather nice Strauss about the whole situation with dating **_**another**_** co-worker ;) **


	11. back to the grind

**A/N: First of all, I'm terribly sorry for updating so late. Truth is life got in the way of writing big time, I'll need a holiday to recover from the weekend. In any case, her goes, hope you'll like it! I have the next two chapters more or less thought out, and I'm going on a 4-day trip at the end of the week so perhaps I can be a bit faster again now, barring any complications!**

**Second, thank you so much for all the reviews, alerts and favourites. It's a delight! **

**Third: I totally forgot to rectify the link situation from the tag to chapter 6. If you want to read the tag to it, which is Hotch/Reid slash (and pretty explicit), just search my username on dreamwidth. That's my sort of writing journal, and there's an entry tagged with the name of this fic (in any case it's the latest entry anyway at the time I write this). For those who are not into Hotch/Reid slash, perhaps a little explanation is in order why Hotch seems to know about Morgan and Garcia here while they haven't told him: long story short, he was in Spencer's apartment when Garcia stormed in! You can just pretend he was there for a case if slash is not your thing ****(but you're missing out ;)).**

**I am also going to be writing more original fiction and essays again as I'm doing LJ Idol on livejournal for the fourth time. My username there is agirlnamedluna, for those who want to follow. The fiction will be posted on dreamwidth too though. **

**Disclaimer: none of it belongs to me. Boo!**

That Monday, the alarm clock came way too early. Both of them wanted to just turn around, snuggle closer and sleep some more, or better yet, start another round of love-making. Saturday evening and Sunday they had been pretty quiet, staying in, watching movies and talking, just like they did before they even kissed. Penelope had kept repeating that she had missed this so much, confirming more and more that this was where they belonged. It felt so right, so domesticated, the two of them, next to each other on the couch, wrapped up in each other's arms, sharing a large bowl of popcorn and twizzlers.

Derek was amazed at how familiar, how _good_ this felt. Whenever they didn't have a case, he liked to go out. Meet friends, play football or basketball, go to the gym, and at night, go to bars and clubs, dancing, getting his groove _thang_ on, flirting with women and accompanying them home. The next morning, he usually snuck out quietly, sometimes he stayed for breakfast but never longer, and then started all over again. He was leading a fast, full life and that was exactly what he wanted. No regrets.

But this, this was something different. Derek couldn't exactly pinpoint what, or even name the feeling, but he knew he never felt more at ease than he had then. He loved to be near her, touch her, kiss her, simply hold her. He loved knowing she finally completed him, and he wasn't going to lie, their lovemaking had been fantastic in every aspect. He loved her, period. He just hoped she loved him too.

"Do we really have to get up?" Penelope complained, hiding her head under the pillow. The weekend did exhaust her, even if it was in a good way.

"I'd rather take you to Paris for a honeymoon than to live under a bridge, sweetheart," Derek kissed down her neck to her back, "So yes, we really do." He felt Penelope slightly stiffen, and silently kicked himself. It was out of his mouth without thinking in any case, he knew it was what he wanted, but he also didn't want to run her off either. Or make her think that he was joking around with her, given his track record. They had been together for a weekend, despite their 7 years of friendship, despite all of the big feelings they had shared in between loving, this was a whole new game and there were no established rules. Or yes, there was one. He never ever wanted to hurt her.

"Kidding, of course," he hastily added, regretting that immediately when she turned around, looking at him with hurt eyes. Damned if he did, damned if he didn't.

"I love you," he answered the questioning look on her face, "I'm all in on this." He kissed her, tenderly, hoping to convince her by his actions rather than his words, as he apparently had a very high foot-to-mouth ratio early in the morning. This was all new territory for him, and he hoped he'd quickly get the hang of it, before running her off.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Penelope's skin was still tingling, she could still feel Derek's kisses all over her when she pushed the glass foor leading to the bullpen. After his unfortunate choice of words, the alarm clock had sounded again and they had gotten in the shower, where he had taken extra care of her, as if he was looking for forgiveness somehow. She just didn't expect to hear _that_ word from him. And she also didn't know how to read him anymore. She always thought she knew him like the back of her hand, but in all those years she apparently never understood how much he wanted her. Yet all weekend he had been telling her that. How he had crushed on her when they first met. He had shared some of the fantasies he had about her over the years, and had been very eager to demonstrate them as soon as his knee felt better. She had laughed, because she had crushed on him at the same time.

"So many wasted years," she had mused, but he shook his head. They hadn't been ready for this intensity all that time ago, and she was inclined to agree while she walked all the way to her office. She was on the late side, and she still needed to see Hotch to inform him of her new living situations. She didn't think her living with Derek would pose a problem for the higher ups, but she still needed to inform him.

In the hallway she passed Reid, who just shot her an all-knowing smile. She had texted him a "thank you" on Saturday, followed by "our secret". He'd replied with a simple "okay", and she knew she could trust him. They had decided to keep their relationship a secret for the time being. It wasn't as much about the frat rules – although those certainly played a role – since nobody had caused her problems when she was dating Lynch. Penelope just wanted to enjoy their relationship without all the negative fallout which would inevitably follow. She could handle that Lynch would be accusing her of doing exactly what he always said she would, she could handle the gossip about how she had a new boyfriend awfully quick after dumping Kevin, or how she'd gone after an agent this time. She knew that. She didn't think she could handle the talk about how she wasn't good enough for him. How she was just a number in a long row of conquests. How _so-and-so_ had slept with him too and how he was only taking advantage of the fact she was living at his place. She was afraid she'd start believing them. Already so many people questioned their friendship, this would just fuel them even more.

Derek was waiting for her by the door of Hotch's office. They rode in together, perfectly justified by their living arrangements, since on Monday they usually started at the same time. A brief stop for coffee, and then they had just exchanged a chaste kiss before going their separate ways.

"Remind me to kill Reid," he whispered to her, shooting her a 100watt smile like he always did. She just giggled, and shook her head at the genius who was back at his desk, shooting the shit with Emily but still throwing a glance at them when he thought they weren't looking.

She knocked, and waited until Hotch signaled them to enter. He didn't work with a closed door often, but lately he had been dragged into one budget revision round after another and many people suspected he really needed a shot of whiskey every now and then. It was one part of the job Morgan certainly didn't miss, although he had only been in one, it had not only bored him to death but also revolted him. How were they supposed to do their jobs when funding kept being cut?

"Hotch, Penelope is living with me now," Morgan just cut to the chase, not wanting to come up with a whole lot of explanations. Garcia let out a small chuckle, realising just how that sounded when she saw Hotch's raised eyebrows.

"The accident in my apartment," she offered, "it did more damage than we thought and Morgan has an extra room so, we figured this was the best possible solution." She decided not to mention Kevin unless it was absolutely necessary, but Hotch didn't even flinch, he just nodded briefly.

"Duly noted," he dismissed them, the faintest smile visible on his lips. Garcia wondered whether it was because he was curious to see how this would pan out, or because he suspected or knew there was more going on. She decided not to worry about that just now though, and started the trek back to her office, her lover hot on her heels.

Arrived there, he slammed the door shut behind them, cupped her face with both of his hands and brought her closer to him for a tender kiss, full of hunger and want. She melted against him, losing herself in the feeling of belonging that washed over her. Way too soon they broke apart though, knowing they both needed to start working.

"I'll see you for lunch?" he panted, his lips still dangerously close to hers. She just nodded, unable to say the slightest word. She just didn't want to miss him, even though he'd be just down the hall. She wondered what she'd do when they were called on cases. Invite herself in as much as possible, and be strong for the rest, she guessed.

Pushing him out of her office after one last kiss, she closed the door behind him and rested against it for a moment to collect herself.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Mid-morning, Penelope had been able to pull herself together well enough to be able to concentrate on some searches for Team B. as well as the endless paperwork that needed to be digitalized. Still, she couldn't help but let her thoughts wander to the whirlwind that had become of her life over just a few days. When she found her concentration dwindling again, she decided to go meet the rest of the team in the break room for coffee, but right as she stood up, a knock was followed immediately by her door opening.

"Why knock if you're not gonna..." she started to protest, but she was interrupted immediately by a very agitated Kevin.

"Penny, you need to listen to me!" he assured her, grabbing both of her arms and nodding furiously as if he willed her to copy his movements.

"Kevin, let go of me!" she demanded, annoyed to see him there already. She had hoped he'd at least have the decency to stay on his floor at work, but apparently he didn't agree with the basic rules of it.

"Penny, I know you were upset Friday, and I understand, but _you_ must understand that taking rash actions like that are really not good for you," he started his plea, trying to kiss her but she turned her cheek towards him.

"Kevin, please, le-" she wanted to order him out, but he wouldn't hear it.

"Penny, you know you'll regret this," he tried to reason her, but she just shook her head.

"No way, Kevin, just LEAVE!" she nearly shouted, before another knock on her door made Kevin leap away from her.

"Everything alright in here, Garcia?" Reid asked, holding two manilla folders. Penelope just nodded, while Lynch sneaked away quietly, but not before holding his his thumb and pinky finger to his ear, mouthing he'd call her. She shook her head at him, and then focused back on Reid, who was looking at the exchange with a furrowed brow.

"I thought you and Morgan..." he questioned, but she put her fingers to her lips, and stood closer to him.

"We are, my delightful little genius, and it's thanks to you. I don't know what got into Kevin, but let's just not mention any of this to anyone, alright?"

"Alright, although I do think that perhaps you should keep in mind that jealous behaviour from the part of a slighted ex-boyfriend, whether his feeling is justified or-" he agreed with her but she hooked her arm into his, pulling him away with her.

"Why don't you explain what you need while we have a cup of coffee?" she smiled, and he changed the subject to the benefits of coffee on the organism.

**A/N: well, is there still interest in this story? **


	12. a not so ordinary week

**A/N: On with the show! The next chapter is more of a transitional chapter. Tomorrow I am leaving for a long weekend in Germany, where I will most likely not have much net access. So no more updates until I get back... I'll try to write there ;) We are getting there though … and if you have any requests for next chapters, do let me know ;) **

**Anyone else loving all the Morgan/Garcia love this season? I know I do! **

**Disclaimer: none of it belongs to me! **

Chatting with Reid about the necessity of digitalising paper archives over coffee, as he had come to complain he couldn't find a hard copy of a cold case's ballistic reports, took Penelope's mind of her encounter with Kevin. She had to admit she hadn't expected he'd fight for her, not after all the remarks he always made about her and her behaviour. And especially not after the big scene he caused at his mother's birthday dinner when his mother had asked her why she had been late, and Pen had explained she had been moving her stuff into Morgan's house. Mrs. Lynch had made a disapproving noise, telling her it was hardly respectable of a taken woman to stay with a womanizer like Morgan. Penelope had no doubt whom she had heard that appreciation of her best friend. When Kevin had – of course – agreed with his mother, telling her that _poor Penny_ really seemed confused lately given all she messed up, she had gone off on him and broken up with him in front of everyone, telling him exactly how awesome Morgan had been to her, acting much more like a good boyfriend should than the man she thought was hers. Then, she had turned on her heels and left, slamming the door while she thought that last sentence out, and realised what – or rather whom – she really wanted.

Pushing the thought aside, she smiled as Morgan and Emily made their way over to the break room where she was still happily chatting with Reid. They were arguing about the necessity of isolating certain suspects before interrogating them, one of those debates only they could pass time with, but as soon as he saw Penelope standing there with her coffee Morgan walked over to her, and his kiss lingered just a moment too long not to make her blush, but fortunately Reid saved her once more from Prentiss's inquiring looks by chipping in on the ongoing debate, taking Morgan's side so he was sure to capture her full attention. Penelope knew Prentiss would probably not drop it, and she'd probably get a visit in her office later on, but for now she was safe.

She really wished she could just tell them, but they had agreed it was best not to tell anything, she knew the reasons why and she agreed with it. And Derek had assured her he would be the first to shout it off the rooftops once they were ready to announce it, but she knew now was not the time, although she almost started to regret it. How was she supposed to act normally around him anyway? The others were really used to them being touchy-feely, but she couldn't help but imagine what would happen were they alone instead of surrounded by colleagues. She needed to get a grip on herself!

So instead of accepting his invitation to walk her back to her office, she thanked him but said she wanted to ask Hotch something first, and then left quickly before he could bestow another such kiss on her. She wasn't sure she would be able to keep a moan inside _this time_! A grinning Reid waved her goodbye, leaving a stunned Prentiss and an almost shocked Morgan on the spot.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Returning to her office, Penelope couldn't help but notice the door was slightly ajar as opposed to closed, as she left it. Wondering who would've dared to enter into her lair, something everyone knew was something they better not risk if they valued their worldly possessions, their soul, or both, she almost ran inside, only to be greeted by a vase with a huge bouquet of flowers. Roses. She carefully stepped closer to the flowers, frowning a little. Roses really weren't her thing, especially not red roses, but they did get the message clear across. Actually, she didn't think it could be any clearer.

Searching for a card, she really hoped they weren't from Derek. She knew he knew her better than that, and she'd be disappointed if he had sent her these. When she finally found a card, she sighed.

_"Penny, you are the sunshine in my life. Please accept these roses as a token of my love for you. Let's try again xx Kevin."_

Reading his words, she sighed again, shook her head, took the flowers, tossed them, and sat down in her computer chair, regretting the past few years with Kevin for the 100th time. Just three days with Morgan made her realise everything she had been missing, and how important it was to be with someone who took the time to get to know you. She knew Derek, and Derek knew her. She even smiled at the stupid idea he'd send her roses, of course he wouldn't. She pulled up her email client, and sent a quick message to Kevin.

_"Kevin, please leave me alone. We are over. PENELOPE. _

She didn't write more – if he really wanted to know every detail of her decision, she'd spell it out for him, but right now, she didn't want to bother. And the reason why knocked on her door, just mere minutes later, holding a single orange lily in hand.

"Hey," he said softly, leaning against the door post. Even he waited patiently until she invited him in, though he was probably the only person who was exempt from her rule, which was another thing Kevin Lynch nagged about. The fact that none of Penelope's – she admitted, rather strict – rules seemed to apply to Derek Morgan. She had explained to him until she was blue in the fact that the only reason that was indeed so was because she _knew _Derek would never break them, because he respected her so much. Not even her girlfriends, and she loved them dearly, received such leeway.

When she waved him in, he leisurely walked up to her, bending over with a smile, placing a soft kiss on her lips before placing the flower behind her ear.

"As stunning as I thought it would be," he commented, earning him a smile in return. He frowned when his eyes fell on the roses in the waste-basket, which didn't go unnoticed by Penelope, who shrugged.

"Kevin wants to try again," she offered, studying the suddenly anxious expression marring his gorgeous face. She didn't say anything, she thought the fact the flowers ended up in the waste would be clear enough, but apparently there was an insecure side to her otherwise so confident hot stuff, and she couldn't help but giggle and at the same time gleam with pride at the fact she had such an effect on him.

"And do you?" he asked, sitting back on the desk next to hers.

"Not in a million years," she stood up, cupping his face in her hands, and planting a tender kiss on his lips, "not when I have you."

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

The whole week went like that for Derek and Penelope. They would come to work, sneak in visits with each other, then go home together, where they shared a meal and went to bed early, even though they both were getting remarkably little sleep, earning them remarks about how they really should let each other sleep. It was bliss, really, and Penelope even found the secrecy a little extra excitement, not that their relationship needed a boost in _that. _On the contrary – and she often blushed just at the thought – there was so much _excitement_ between them they acted more like horny teenagers than responsible adults, but when she shared that thought with Derek he laughed and told her she was the sole culprit, before showering her with more kisses.

The only damper on her happiness were the constant mails, messages and calls from Kevin. She had blocked his primary address and numbers, but he kept popping up and she was growing well irritated with it. A few times he had knocked on her door too, but she had sent him away without listening to him, but when he wouldn't give up at all she was starting to re-think her policy. She must have been doing _something_ wrong if he didn't get the message.

She also hadn't told Derek about Kevin's further attempts at gaining her back. There was no way she was dumping the love of her life for him, but she had to admit that he _was _trying, and that he was actually being a lot sweeter than he had been, more like he had been in the beginning of their relationship when she had given him a chance because she do desperately wanted to feel alive and Derek's "I love you" turned out to be platonic, or so she thought. But she had seen that moment of insecurity, of hurt flash on his face when he saw the roses, and she didn't want him to hurt even more, so she decided to keep quiet and tossed all physical evidence of Kevin's incessant pleas. Now however, she was also rethinking _that_ strategy, and trying to come up with a way to tell Morgan after all how Lynch had been harassing her. Most of all, though, was she reconsidering their secrecy. Not only was she no longer caring about hurting Kevin or his possible backlash of him knowing about them, but she also was growing more and more annoyed with the ridiculously high amount of female FBI members who all needed something from Derek. She had always noticed them somewhat, but in the last week their number seemed to have grown exponentially. All of this was making her cranky, so she was rather sharp in her answer when someone knocked around noon, thinking it was Kevin _again._

Instead, she opened the door to find an apologetic Derek there, bringing her lunch. He had picked up on her tense mood, and she immediately regretted snapping, pulling him inside to wrap him up in her arms. Just as she wanted to kiss him, her phone started ringing and she sighed. Team B had been needing her often, and it wasn't the first time she'd take a late lunch because of them. Now it was her turn to smile at Morgan apologetically, and he gave her a quick kiss before bowing out of her lair, leaving her lunch behind.

**A/N: Okay, I lied. The next chapter is written, and I guess I *could* post it before I leave, or if I have a quick minute online over there. It all depends on how much you want it though... **

**Hint: Kevin won't give up, and Morgan will hear more than he wanted to … will our favourite couple survive? **


	13. the roof

**A/N: Well there you have it. Posting to you before I go sightseeing Köln in the rain ;) **

**Some drama, some angst, but I didn't make klcm's worst nightmare come true, I just couldn't. I may threaten with K/G, but I'd never really do it. They just don't belong ;) Not sure how many chapters, after this. As usual, your reviews, alerts and favorites are really what keeps me going, and they are very much appreciated! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing … what a shame. **

Derek had been sitting at his desk for over half an hour, his half-eaten lunch in front of him, but he couldn't concentrate on the endless paperwork to save his life. He was thankful for it, one the one hand, because it meant he wasn't called out on a case and therefore didn't have to miss Penelope in his arms at night. He didn't think he would ever get enough of her, but especially now he still needed the reassurance she was his. He understood her reasons for keeping their relationship a secret, and although he had done his best to convince her that he really didn't care about what anyone in the world had to say about it – and that he was sure that the people who mattered would find her nothing short than perfect for him – he had agreed with her plan. Still, he couldn't help but be anxious when he couldn't just claim her as his, and her weird mood today didn't help. He couldn't wait for the weekend, they would be spending it together, arranging some repairs for her place and just enjoying each other, and he was really looking forward to it.

When finally he couldn't even pretend he was working anymore, and he was tired of making up excuses to Prentiss and Reid at the desks around his, he stood up and made his way back to Penelope's office. Something was bugging him. Something had been bugging him all week, since he saw Kevin's flowers tossed in Penelope's trash. She hadn't mentioned it again, but she was more nervous at work since then, and a little jumpy when he went to see her. It didn't really take a profiler like he was to notice _something_ wasn't right, he had wanted to find out what over lunch, but the damn Team B was always taking up so much extra attention these days. He liked them well enough, and Mick Rawson had been out with the team more than once since he started dating Prentiss, but he still preferred it when Penelope had been less busy. At least she didn't have to go out with them on cases like she did with the Quantico team, even though that seemed like a meager consolation now.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Exasperated by yet another one of Kevin's message, Penelope didn't even hear her door open behind her, muttering a string of choice words under her breath. Ever since she had been done with her search for Team B, it hadn't stopped, and she was about to unleash her fury when she felt someone breathe down her neck, and she jumped, turning around with her hand over her heart, holding herself up against her desk.

"Kevin! How many times haven't I told you not to do that!" she exclaimed accusingly, glaring at him, but he raised his palms towards her in a peace offering.

"Well Mo-" he started in his whiny voice but she cut him off immediately, not wanting to hear it. She closed her eyes, breathed in deeply, and mentally prepared herself for what she was going to say, but this time it was Kevin's turn not to let her speak.

"Penny," he started in the sweetest tone, and she couldn't help but at least find it a little endearing he went through so much trouble for her, "You have to listen to me. We are made for each other, and I'm really sorry how I have been treating you. You were right, I didn't appreciate you enough."

Penelope just stared at him with wide open eyes, so surprised she momentarily lost her tongue. She certainly didn't expect this. He had been rather sweet to her all week, besides a little outburst here and there. He'd been a little bitter too, but he hadn't ever apologized for his behaviour, throwing her for a loop.

"Kevin, no, listen to me..." she finally got the control over her vocal cords back, shaking her head, then pausing to collect her thoughts while she looked at the floor.

"It's Morgan, isn't it?" the nerd in front of her suddenly blurted out, a little angrier, making her look up again.

"Kevin, no, Morgan and I..." her voice trailed off, unsure whether she should just tell him the truth or not about her new relationship, but eventually deciding against it, "Morgan has nothing to do with this. You and I..." She hesitated again, unsure of how to tell him exactly, this time calmly, why she broke up with him. She had avoided this discussion for over a week now, and perhaps it was time to have it.

Before she could start on her explanation though, she heard a curse from the hallway, sounding remarkably like Derek, and footsteps quickly moving away. Without thinking, she left a perplexed Kevin in her office, and made a beeline for the door.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Morgan hadn't wanted to overhear the voices coming from Pen's office, but through the open door he had immediately recognized Kevin Lynch and his whiny tone. Keeping in mind that he sent flowers earlier that week, his senses went into alert mode, but he still didn't storm in, wanting to let Garcia handle this on her own, he didn't want to act like the jealous boyfriend but he still stood on stand-by should she need help. Yet he couldn't believe his ears when he apparently arrived just in time for Kevin's sincere apology and declaration of love.

Now he _did_ want to hear what Penelope would answer. His heart was beating so hard in his chest he thought he would soon faint, and he felt that dizzying, sickening feeling of panic wash over him. After all, Penelope had been with Kevin for three years before she was with him. And she only broke up with him because he wasn't treating her right, but maybe if he promised her he'd be better in the future she'd want to give them another chance …

He quickly tried to push away those thoughts. She had told him she was in love with _him. _That she loved him. Adored him. Her whispered words of passion couldn't all have been a lie... So he leaned against the wall, the file he was carrying as an excuse to go see her rippled with how hard he was gripping it, he wanted so badly to go in, to just take her in his arms and kiss her senseless, answering the geeky tech for once and for all, but he knew he needed to let her speak.

But when she didn't answer Kevin straight away, didn't confirm there was something between him and her, he felt his heart break, and he needed air. When he heard her talking about Kevin and her in terms of "you and I", he was certain she was going to tell him they should try again, and he didn't want to hear it. Instead, he uttered a loud "Damned!" and made his way out, barely restraining himself from hitting the walls on his way out, and then only because he didn't want anyone to jump in.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

A quick detour to the bullpen did nothing to assuage Penelope's fears that Derek had overheard her and Kevin when neither Reid nor Prentiss could tell where Derek was. She was just about to go to the parking garage to see if his SUV was still there, when she ran into JJ, who confirmed her suspicions when she asked what the hell was wrong with a seething Morgan who had nearly pushed her out of the way, and had taken the stairs which led to the roof. As quick as she could, she followed him up there, trying to catch her breath as she surveyed the building rooftop.

Her heart broke when she saw him sitting, his back against a vent, his shoulders slumped, his head thrown back, his eyes closed. She quickly went towards him, kneeling in front of him, her hands resting on his knees, but he didn't look at her, like she hoped he would.

"Not now, Penelope, not now," was all he said, his voice thick with emotion, she could tell he was hurting, "Just leave me be."

"Derek..." Her tone was soft, loving, she placed her hand on his arm, but he quickly grabbed her by the wrist, finally looking at her as she spoke between clenched teeth, he was trying very hard not to snap at her, but he could barely contain his anger.

"I heard enough, or rather, I didn't hear you protest, Garcia, you don't need to explain. Go back to him, be happy, see if I care. I don't need your pity." She knew he was lashing out, but his words still hurt, and she almost got up and left him alone, but then she realised she hadn't been honest with him and she owed him at least that.

"That's not what happened, Derek, you need to believe me," she softly coaxed her wrist from the death grip he was holding her in, but grabbed his hand in the same movement, running her thumb over his palm, now it was her turn to be unable to look at him. "Kevin has been harassing me all week about getting back together. I was just running out of ways to tell him we are well and truly over."

"He has what? Why didn't you tell me?" Derek shot up, his free hand moving under her chin to lift her face up, studying her.

"I didn't want you to worry. He came onto me rather forcefully but Reid stepped in in time, and I didn't know how to tell you, I didn't want you to do something that would get you in trouble, I know you … Then when I saw how you were hurt when you saw the roses, I didn't want you to doubt every time...And since I didn't tell you then, I didn't know how to tell you when he kept coming back. I just brushed him off every time but today I decided to tell him exactly why I broke up with him, so he'd understand." Derek felt like an ass now, because she was the one hurt, she was the one who had been trying to look out for his best interest yet he hadn't even waited for an explanation.

"Did he hurt you?" He searched her eyes for the truth, but she shook her head, and smiled at him. "Good," he pulled her closer to him, silently asking her for forgiveness, relieved when he felt her arms snake around him.

"I wanted to tell him we were together, but I didn't dare. I didn't know if you wanted everyone to know..." she whispered, suddenly overcome with sadness.

"Baby girl, you were the one who wanted to keep this a secret, not me, remember?" he spoke softly, punctuating his words with tender kisses on her cheek, her temple, her ear.

"I don't want to anymore," she sat back and looked up at him, "not when it nearly cost me you."

He bent his head and kissed her on the lips, this time, happier than he wanted to admit about that decision, but also knowing deep inside he shouldn't rush her, especially not with jerkish behaviour like this.

"I'm sorry, I should've trusted you." It was his turn to whisper an apology, knowing he was forgiven as her lips touched his, "I'm leaving it up to you."

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

They made their way down the stairs again, after sitting on the roof for a good hour, discussing what had happened with Kevin, kissing, reaffirming their feelings for each other. It was a slow day at the BAU, since no phonecalls called them back, and when they made it into the bullpen Prentiss was sitting on Reid's desk, chatting lively with him, and even Hotch was out there with Rossi, not even discussing work.

"Well there you are!" Prentiss exclaimed when she saw them coming back in, but the only one noticing their fingers threaded together was Reid, who just winked at Morgan, understanding that whatever had gone down had made them stronger.

"Morgan, you coming out with us to the bar?" Prentiss inquired, still not seeing a thing.

"Yeah, sure, why not? Unless..." Morgan answered, turning to Penelope to ask her if she had any other plans for them, but Prentiss beat him to it.

"Garcia, you have any plans with that boyfriend of yours?" She crinkled her nose as she said that last word, never having been very subtle about what she really thought of Kevin Lynch.

"Well, it looks like my boyfriend just agreed to go out with you, didn't you, Hot Stuff?" she replied sassily, before dragging a shrugging Derek with her to her lair to grab her bag and coat, leaving a perplexed Prentiss gaping at them.

"When she said boyfriend, she meant Morgan, right?" Emily verified whether she had heard that right.

"Finally," Rossi answered her, smugly.

"I'll say!" JJ commented with an appreciative smirk.

"I knew!" Reid exclaimed proudly, beaming from his chair. The others looked at him incredulously, except for Hotch, who just smiled.

"Let's get to the bar, so we can find out what happened," Prentiss rounded up everyone, impatiently. This was promising to be a good night.

**A/N: Happy now? **

**Oh I forgot: coming up, nice!Strauss. Yeah, it exists! **


	14. Dance the night away

**A/N: I'm so, so sorry for this late update! I promise I'll try and work faster on the next update! In the meantime, I wrote a one-shot and a Hotch/Garcia story about "the thing" she did to get their iPads, so I hope at least it's not entirely bad you had to wait so long ;) Also, if you have fic requests (drabbles) for me, please head over to my livejournal (agirlnamedluna) and fill out the alphabet meme :) (just a few posts down the page – the A-Z MultiFandom meme). You can sign in with OpenId, but you can also comment anonymously (just sign the comment then please). **

**This is entirely unbeta'ed, like 99% of my work, so all mistakes are mine. I'm on a shaky connection at my in-laws, so I'm trying here ;) **

**Also, so sorry for not getting back to comments yet! I will, ASAP. Life just got in the way this week. I won't let it happen again ;) **

**Disclaimer: none of this belongs to me! **

The bar was packed, much like it had been the week before. The team was fortunate enough to have found a table, so they could all sit together. Normally they ended up splitting up pretty quickly while still keeping somewhat together, but tonight they were all perched on their bar stools, looking up expectantly at Morgan and Garcia, who were all in all rather oblivious to their public's attention.

At first, after her initial burst of courage when she had told the team sideways they were dating, Penelope had been hesitant about joining them at the bar. She felt nervous, even though she knew her friends weren't going to judge, they were still going to grill her, especially Prentiss and JJ who were a lot less tactful when it came to her love-life than when it came to their jobs.

_"What if they don't approve?" She asked it so earnestly, Morgan stopped for a moment, and looked at her with big eyes._

_"Who?" He sounded incredulous, and wanted to check whether they were really talking about the same team, their friends, the people who would support them through everything and anything? _

_"Well..." Penelope hesitated, not really wanting to discuss everything that had been nagging at the back of her head for the past week now._

_"What is it, baby?" He was already at the door, but instead closed it again, and turned back to her, cupping her face in his hands. _

_"What if Hotch and Rossi disapprove? What if they question your work ethic? What if JJ and Prentiss think I went too quickly from one relationship to another? What will Strauss say? The whole tech department will think I cheated on Kevin, they like him there and half of them are jealous I get my own unit!" Derek chuckled, Penelope was adorable when she was rambling, which earned him a swat on the chest. _

_"Honey,..." He shook his head, still chuckling, and he noticed she smiled back at him, realising who she was talking about, "Our team will be happy for us, we'll deal with Strauss on Monday, and the tech department can keep Kevin, don't you think?" _

_Penelope nodded, grabbed her bags and followed him to the elevators. _

Now, finally, Derek was able to pull his Baby Girl in his arms while they were out at the bar, instead of going off to dance, and he was doing just that, when they heard a throat clear, so they both looked up at Emily with an expectant look on her face. Morgan grinned, shaking his head, waving his index finger in front of her, letting her know without a doubt he wasn't going to spill anything.

"Oh come on," she whined, looking behind her for back-up, but she was only met with Reid's beaming smile (he knew), Hotch and Rossi acting as if they didn't care, and JJ who was just as disappointed as she was.

"No way, Prentiss, I am _not_ sharing anything about my love life with you!" Morgan told her, mock-sternly, he knew she had always had a healthy interest in what he did outside the job, but while they had had flirted a little when they first got to know each other, that was really where it stopped. Besides being partnered up a lot while out in the field,they didn't always share a whole lot together, at least not about their love lives. Somehow, he wanted to keep that a secret from her, just like she kept a lot from the team, at least in the beginning. His former teammate, Elle, had been a totally different type. She was just as much a predator as he was, and they had gotten along fabulously. With Emily too, just … differently.

Prentiss sighed, admitting defeat when Morgan wrapped his arms about Penelope, but she soon looked expectantly at her best friend.

"Lunch tomorrow?" She asked, unable to hide the hopeful tone in her voice, and everyone laughed.

"You're so out of luck, Emily," Morgan answered again, speaking for Penelope, he normally wouldn't do this but he still had a surprise to deliver and he wanted to properly love on his woman all weekend, "but I have plans for my sweetheart."

"You sap!" Prentiss retorted, crunching her face in fake disgust, but Morgan just laughed. He couldn't believe how right this felt, how lucky he was. Ten days ago, he thought he'd forever be standing on the sidelines, watching how another man everything he ever dreamed of. Just six hours ago, he thought he'd lost the love of his life after getting a taste of heaven for a week.

"Okay, how about Sunday?" JJ joined in, eager herself to get Garcia to spill the details. "Monday?" she continued, when she saw Morgan shake his head again.

"You owe me, remember Mick?" Prentiss glared, remembering well enough when JJ and Garcia had grilled her until she admitted having a crush on him, and made her call him back after he left several messages on her answering machine.

"We have a date for Monday," Penelope finally agreed with her girlfriends, giving Derek a comforting caress on the arm when he pouted. "Sorry hot stuff, she has a point!"

"I'm going for drinks," Hotch announced, now that that was settled, taking Reid with him to help him carry, "Same as usual?" He was met by 5 nods, and made his way to the bar, as they all got ready to kick off a good night of relaxing.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

They had been at the bar for several hours now, generally relaxing, finally being able to let off the steam of the job. Weeks like these, where they were in doing paperwork all week, and were out of the office at 5 on a Friday night with room to go out as a group, had become a rarity as the BAU had become more solicited than ever the last few years. Behavioural science had long been something a lot of local police officers scoffed upon, but some successes in the field were slowly bringing around the general feeling towards them and JJ had been more overworked than ever, trying to dispatch all the cases which ended up on her desk. And her chairs, her shelves, her floor, every available surface in her office, really. Entering it was something they did at their own risk these days, and Hotch wasn't even sure they single-handedly didn't negate the entire FBI building's fire insurance.

Emily was dancing with Mick, who had arrived by now too, by chance Team B had caught their UNSUB right after Penelope had given them his address, and he had hurried to meet them there. Reid was off entertaining a few friends about beer brewing, while Hotch, Rossi, JJ stayed at the table with Morgan and Garcia, talking about past cases, general gossip, child-rearing, computers, everything and anything they could come up with, sharing a good time and a lot more laughter than they had in a good while. For Morgan and Garcia, not much was different. They acted just like they always did, except they shared real kisses now, on the mouth, instead of everywhere but there.

Despite his arms around her however, there were still several girls coming up to him to ask him to dance. He politely declined them, pressing Penelope closer to him, silently reassuring him. He asked her repeatedly to dance with him instead, he had been trying to get her out on the dance floor for years now, but she always refused. He knew it was because she considered that she wasn't a very good dancer, and he was, and that she wasn't exactly the slim, lean type made to shake what nature gave her on the rhythm of the music while he was a statuesque God, but he also told her numerous times her reasons were nothing but excuses because she just didn't want him. Frankly, he didn't care about what anyone might think about them being a good match or not. For him, she was perfect, and that was what counted. He just wished she'd believe that wholeheartedly.

When it was his turn for another round, he slowly stood up, and pressed a long kiss on her lips, as if he was going to leave her for several weeks instead of coming back to her with a new drink in a few minutes, earning them cat calls from JJ and Rossi.

Finally, he let go of her and made his way to the bar, on the way there however he was suddenly stopped by Tara, the blonde he abruptly let go the week before when Penelope had come into the bar. She seemed to have forgotten or didn't care about the way he treated her – and he admitted, that under normal circumstances he'd never have done such a thing to a woman – because she quickly stopped him with a hand on his chest, coy smile on her lips.

"Back for more, Derek?" she asked with a husky voice, stepping closer to him, but he lightly pushed her away from him, holding her steady while he shot a quick look over his shoulder, back at the table where Emily and Rick had rejoined their group, and they were all looking at him with curiosity, wondering how he'd react, especially Penelope who seemed a little anxious, and he couldn't blame her. Last time she came in her he had been kissing this woman like it was going out of style, and her body language revealed that's not where it should have stopped according to her.

"Listen, Tara?" He looked back at her, trying to make his point as convincingly and quickly as possible. He wasn't drunk, he only had a couple of bears, but she had a few more so to see. "I'm here with my girlfriend. You see the gorgeous redhead there? That's her." He pointed at Penelope, making it well and truly clear to everyone at the table that he was telling her about the woman in his life.

"Oh, _her,_" Tara scoffed, earning her a scowl from Derek, who just pushed her aside, not roughly but strong enough to make it clear he didn't appreciate her behaviour towards Penelope, who he now saw, was looking away, so he hurried back to the table, and snaked his arms around her from behind. "I love you, and only you," he whispered in her ear, making her smile, and the rest of the team resumed their conversation when they saw she seemed back to her old self, while he finally went to order a new round of drinks.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

The evening was still in full swing, it was almost Midnight when Derek finally achieved what he had been after all these years. Finally, Penelope agreed to dance with him, convinced by his gentle insistence, and the fact that he hadn't once gone out to dance all the time they had been there. That was unheard of, and on top of that all of his drinking buddies had arrived too, teasing him about it after congratulating Morgan and Penelope on their new relationship status. Words like 'whipped', 'old man', and 'ready for the nursing home now" rang out, all in good fun, while Morgan took everything with a smile.

Just as he thought the evening couldn't get any more perfect, when he was gently swaying her to the music, his head buried in her neck while she pressed close to him, teasing him with butterfly kisses in his neck, holding him as close as humanly possible while his hands roamed over her back, down to her ass, and back up again – he didn't want to put on a free show in the bar, after all – just when he was lost in her scent, in the soft feeling of her hair tickling in his face, as he was contemplating begging all powers in the world to let this moment last forever, he felt her stiffen in his arms, and a minute later he registered the same whiny voice which had made him flee up the roof that same afternoon.

"Penny! I knew it! You cheating whore!"

**A/N: I believe some of you were secretly hoping for a confrontation between Derek and Kevin. You **_**might**_** just convince me to write that next ;) Also, well, I guess Strauss was bumped up a chapter or two, but I think this story is drawing to an end :) **


	15. is the gone now?

**A/N: So sorry to those of you I promised to have the chapter up last night, it just took me a while longer to write it, mainly because I **_**didn't**_** plan on writing the middle section ;) **

**For those of you who want to read it, there is another short Hotch/Reid tag to chapter 14. It can be found on my dreamwidth fic journal. Promise I'll put links up on my profile at some point, but otherwise you can just look me up there under "wordofwyrd". I also have a drabble meme going on on my livejournal (agirlnamedluna), where you can request fics based on a letter prompt – not all letters are taken yet! You can comment anonymously or via OpenID, but please sign your username or a way to contact you when your drabble is written.**

**Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers, I hope you are enjoying yourselves!**

**While I'm on the subject, I am very thankful for all your support. All the reviews, alerts and favourites are really wonderful, and only encourage me to write more. **

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing! **

It took Derek another second to realise exactly what Kevin had said, as he was rudely awakened from his trance, but when the words finally registered he let go of Penelope and was past her in a no time, grabbing the greasy tech by his collar with one hand, slightly lifting him up so the man was standing on his tiptoes, growing more nervous by the minute but looking at Derek with a defiant stare.

"What did you just call my girlfriend?" he hissed, gripping a little tighter, his anger radiating from him.

"Your _girlfriend_? I'd be careful if I were you," Kevin mocked, shooting Penelope the darkest looks he could muster. Morgan was about to throw the other man, when he felt Penelope's hand on his arm, and her soft plea to let Kevin go.

"Hot stuff, he's not worth it," she coaxed him to let go, shoving Lynch who made a big deal out of brushing the wrinkles out of his clothes, not making any attempts to get away. The rest of the team had gathered around them too now, ready to either get Kevin to leave or keep Morgan from killing him. Morgan automatically put his arm around Pen, holding her close. He could feel her trembling, and he knew she was beyond herself with anger, especially given everything he had put her through. All week, Derek had been building her back up, making her realise she really didn't deserve the treatment Kevin had been putting her through. She was still a long way from being as confident in her personal life as she was everywhere else, but Morgan was confident they would get there. This, however, she did not need.

"She's a lying, cheating, whore, that's what I said," Kevin attacked again, ignoring Morgan's growl, his eyes fixated on his ex-girlfriend, who stepped out from under Derek's arm and faced him, eying him up and down.

"Lying?" She cocked her head to the side, "To myself yes, when I thought you were all I could have so I stuck you out." She saw him opening his mouth, but stopped him simply by holding up her hand at him, "I'm not finished yet." She took a deep breath, comforted by Morgan who put his hand on the small of her back.

"Cheating?" Her head went to the other side, her finger to her lip as if she was thinking really hard, "I broke up with you before I slept with Morgan, and boy, was I cheated before." Kevin just gaped at her, not used to hearing her being so harsh.

"And whore? Damn, I should've been paid to put up with you!" With those words, she turned around, ready to ignore Lynch, but while he had been speechless before, he was now once more seething with rage.

"He's going to dump your fat ass and you're going to come back crawling to me!" Kevin assured her, and it took both Hotch and Rossi to keep Morgan from punching him.

"Let it go, Kevin," the unit chief warned him.

"You know it's true," Kevin continued, ignoring Hotch, feeling stronger because Morgan was being held back by his superior and Pen was just staring at him, not answering. He knew he hit a sore spot, and he saw her assurance, her belief in her new relationship crumble just a tiny bit. "You're no model, he's going to grow tired of you, and go back to the likes of Tamara and Jordan."

At that moment, both Hotch and Rossi stepped aside without saying a word, letting Morgan floor Kevin with one well-directed punch. They knew how much tension there had been between Morgan and Garcia when Tamara came in his life, how off-balanced the team had been with Jordan on it, so they just let him handle it. The tech gripped his bleeding nose with both hands, shielding his face when he saw Morgan bend over him.

"You leave us alone, you hear me?" the agent hissed, out of himself, ready to punch the man in front of him at the least sign of resistance, but Kevin cowered. "You lost the right to say ANYTHING to Pen when you treated her like shit." With that, he turned his back, focusing back on Garcia while Kevin scrambled back to his feet.

"He punched me!" He exclaimed with an indignant look at Hotch and Rossi, pointing at Morgan, "I am going to file a complaint!" After those words he wanted to make his dramatic exit, but Pen beat him to it.

"If _you,_you weasely rat that you are, if you _dare_ file a complaint against him," she menaced him in a low tone, "I am not going to punch you _literally_, but you are going to wish that's all it was. I am going to make your life miserable, and _then_ I am going to file a complaint against _you _for all the threats and the breaches of security."

For the first time, Kevin now looked genuinely scared, he quickly turned around and left through the mass of curious patrons as fast as he could.

"I am _so _proud of you," Morgan beamed at a still seething Garcia, who now started laughing hysterically at Kevin's retreating back. Puzzled, the rest of the team gathered around her, but they soon started laughing too.

"Did you see how he went down?" Garcia hiccuped, the stress of the past week finally leaving her completely. Morgan had the decency not to openly boast, although it was hard not to, especially not when Viper came up to him.

"Perfect hook, man, well done," the Brit said, slapping him on the shoulder.

"_Officially_, we didn't see any of this," Hotch informed him, but the smile on his lips told the couple everything they needed to know.

"Okay, next round's one me!" Penelope shouted, and they went back to their table, enjoying each other's company until the early hours.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Coming home that night, Penelope felt strangely relieved. For a moment she had worried that Lynch would actually pose a threat to Morgan and his career, but Hotch and Rossi had assured her there was no such danger. That had relaxed her, and she had been able to share her experiences with the rest of the team, who scolded her for not alerting them to Kevin's behaviour, but as she explained, she had settled then. Now, she knew there was no reason to put up with someone like him. She felt like she had truly let him go now, and basking in Morgan's love all night, dancing with him, hearing the comfort her family offered, it all helped to pull herself together.

"Here, Baby Girl, drink this," Derek handed her a glass of water with an Alka Seltzer in it. He knew she had a bit too much too drink – she wasn't drunk, but he still didn't want her to be hungover in the morning, after all, he had plans for the weekend!

"How did I deserve you, again?" she accepted with a thankful smile, while he slid his arms around her from behind, holding her close to him.

"Hah, I didn't want to miss on the opportunity to be the happiest man in the world," he whispered huskily against her ear, and her eyes filled with tears at hearing his tender words.

"Shhh, it's okay, you just need some sleep," Morgan slowly unbuttoned her shirt, sliding it off her shoulders while he kissed her neck, gently pushing her towards the bedroom. She didn't protest, letting Derek take care of her, undressing her so slowly, so sensually she really didn't want to let him go but he directed her to the bathroom with a grin on his face, despite her protest.

By the time she came out, her face freshly washed, he was stretched out on the bed, his hand under his head, wearing only his jeans, looking like a God, and she couldn't help licking her lips as he slowly stood up to take his turn in the bathroom.

When he came back into the bedroom, he found her half-asleep on her side, so he simply slipped under the sheets behind her, spooning her. She snuggled closer to him, pressing her ass against his crotch, and despite having had every intention to let her sleep when they came home, he couldn't help a low growl escaping his throat. He was painfully hard now, but he wanted to let her sleep, so he just hugged her close and sighed, hoping he would at least be able to join her in the land of dreams.

But when she shifted, and softly started grinding against him, he realised she wasn't as asleep as she seemed to be just barely minutes ago, and with a world-conquering grin he bent over her, running his tongue just lightly from the junction between her neck and shoulder, up to her ear, hearing her moan confirmed she was well and truly awake and as turned on as he was.

His hands quickly went under her night shirt, cupping her breasts, massaging her perfect twins while he rolled her nipples between his fingers, making her throw her head back, resting it against his shoulder, which left him with more room for his kisses. Just a second later, he briefly broke their contact to take her shirt off, needing to feel her soft skin against his. Immediately though, his hands went back to her breasts, then down to caress her belly, dipping even lower, tracing the outlines of her panties, urged on by her moans and the way she writhed under his hands.

He could barely keep himself under control, but when she reached behind her, stroking him through his boxers, he gave in to the overwhelming feeling of wanting, needing to be inside of her and he tugged the only pieces of clothing separating them off them, before pressing himself close to her again. He reached between her legs, his hand finding her center, and he moaned when feeling how wet she was already for him. With two fingers, he started rubbing her clit, making her buck up against him, he took advantage of that position to steady her with his other arm and position himself against her, letting his hand guide him before he entered her carefully to let her adjust. Feeling her tight heat around him nearly did him in, after all the tension during the day, despite the good night they ended up having, he needed release almost more than his next breath. He knew she needed it too as she ground against him, trying to make him move, and he didn't hesitate thrusting fast and hard inside her. It was raw, it was almost desperate, this was no time for elaborate foreplay or slow, sensual lovemaking. It was about feeling connected, feeling alive even. They didn't even speak, the only sound being their heavy breathing and moans.

When Derek felt himself reaching the edge, he reached around her again, pressing hard on her bundle of nerves, and she joined him in her own orgasm as he bit down on her shoulder when his release hit him harder than it ever had in his life. Panting, he pulled the covers back up, before snuggling her close as their breathing evened out and they both fell asleep without another word, still joined together.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

The next morning, they awoke almost exactly the way they went to sleep, after a good few hours of exhausted sleep. That started another round of love-making, but when they finally got up and showered, the day was almost halfway.

"I thought you had plans for today, hot stuff?" Penelope teased him when he came into the kitchen, wearing nothing but jeans shorts, looking straight out of a photoshoot. She herself felt a little hungover and absolutely nothing to look at, but he had quickly convinced her otherwise, what with the heat radiating from his gaze every time he laid his eyes on her.

"Who says this wasn't in my plans?" he smiled back, leaning in for a kiss. She gently swatted at his chest, pointing at her coffee. Nobody should come between her and her cup in the morning, afternoon, well whenever … although, that resolve was quickly diminishing when he looked at her like that!

"You, Mister," she pointed at him, "You said you had a surprise for me!" She could barely contain her curiosity, ever since he mentioned to her she shouldn't make plans for Saturday because he wanted to show her something, she had been dying to find out what exactly he had in store for her. Now that the day had finally arrived, she couldn't wait any longer. "It's not nice to tease a girl and then not deliver!" She winked at him, which earned her a scowl.

"Are you saying I'm just a tease?" he growled in her ear, his voice gravelly, pulling her in his arms. "Are you saying I don't deliver?" He tugged on her earlobe with his teeth, until she shivered.

"Oh shug, you more than deliver," she cooed, walking her fingers up his shoulder, "But I still really want to know what your surprise is."

"Okay," he surrendered, smiling. Truth was, that he could barely wait to see her face. He quickly went into the hallway, shooing her off to the living room, before the came back with a wrapped box and handed it to her without saying a word. She looked puzzled as she accepted the gift, when he said surprise she thought it had to do with her apartment, or maybe an outing, not literally, a gift.

She quickly unwrapped it, and then gasped, staring at the large box before opening it almost reverently, revealing the cherry red macbook pro in front of her.

"What?" Penelope looked up at him, her eyes wide, her mouth open, on the verge of smiling but not entirely sure she could believe her eyes.

"I came by the Apple store last Friday," he shrugged. "I've had it since Monday, but I wanted you to be able to explore it so I kept it until today."

"I can't accept this," she whispered, closing the box. "It's way too much!"

"Sweetheart, when are you going to understand nothing is too much for you?" Morgan kneeled in front of her, opening the box again, taking the computer out of it and placing it on the table behind him. "Come on, show me how you work some magic with these things!"

Garcia didn't protest, but instead tossed the box aside, and hugged him close, burying her face in his neck, tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she murmured against his skin, and he strengthened the hold of his arms around her in response.

When she finally let him go, she licked her lips and opened the computer, eager to start working on it. In no time, she had set it up the way she wanted it, and she was enthusiastically showing him a couple of things she had been working on after she secured a network with her other computers, making him laugh. It reminded him of that time he had explained her how bombs worked, only he didn't have anything useful to add to her skills. He just enjoyed being with her, watching her do what she loved to do.

Just as he was about to stand up to fix them a very late lunch or early dinner though, both of their phones started ringing.

**A/N: Uhuh, wonder who that is ;) Want to know who? **


	16. just when you thougth you had it all

**A/N: So sorry for the wait for the updates. My daughter has been sick, I'm getting very little sleep due to that, and my hands hurt too much to type a lot due to the cold and because I bite my skin. The way I have to hold my hands to avoid the wounds makes my tendinitis play up too, soo it's whinefest at my house ;) Yay for getting old, right ;) So you're getting the update I could manage to do. I'm sorry also for not replying to comments yet, and for not leaving more reviews on your fics. Rest assured that I do read you (looking at you, Kirsty, Shin, Kricket, Naidoo, …) but when I can avoid typing, I do it. However, I hope the drop in reviews for the last chapter meant you were all stuffing yourselves with good food and not that the interest is gone ;) **

"JJ, I told you, not before Monday," Morgan groaned as he picked up. He heard Garcia saying something similar to Prentiss, and sighed when JJ apologized.

"I'm sorry Morgan, but we caught a really urgent case," she summoned him to come to the airport right away, as they would brief on the plane.

"Sorry, Baby Girl," he in turn apologized to Penelope, pulling her close to him for a last kiss before he threw his go bag in his SUV and hurried away while she rushed back to the FBI building where she'd set up a teleconference with them as soon as she found the information Prentiss had asked her about. They had always been apart for days, sometimes weeks because of cases, but this time it seemed particularly difficult to let each other go, especially for Penelope. She was safe in her office, but while she had been terrified of losing him so many times before, she felt like now it would be even worse, now she finally admitted she had been in love with him for so long and let her guards down. Still, this didn't change anything – it was both their jobs. She just had to remember that – that this was just another case and she needed to concentrate on that and then everything would be alright.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

The team had been gone for five days now, chasing an UNSUB who seemed to move around a lot, leaving his victims behind in one area before disappearing for a few weeks to months and then reappearing on the opposite side of the country. So far they had successfully attributed murders in California, Maine, Washington, Arizona, Kansas, Georgia and South Carolina to him, but there seemed to be no logic behind it at all. Penelope was tearing her hair out by now and knowing that her team was working against the clock non-stop was not putting her in a great mood either. If they were getting too tired they were more likely to make mistakes and while she knew they were used to the exhaustion she also knew they needed to break this case soon.

Alas, none of her searches turned up anything. No connection between the victims, no roads connecting the dump sites, no similar dump sites, no signature, no events happening during the dump times. In fact, it was a wonder she had been able to connect the murders at all, and it was only because the Arizona bodies had alarmed a recently transferred local FBI agent who had worked the case in Georgia. All she had was a dozen strangled people of different sexes, nationalities, hair and eye colour, of different social classes too. She had all of their pictures up in her office, trying to find a connection, _any _connection, albeit that they all liked coffee. But again, no such luck.

Currently, she was standing in the middle of all the whiteboards, and she was overlooking picture after picture, until she finally came with an idea, her face lit up, and she dialed Morgan.

"Hi Baby Girl," came his tired voice, and the lack of witty banter told her he was probably not alone, so she wisely chose to ignore what she really wanted to tell him, that she missed his arms around her at night so much she couldn't sleep either, and cut to the point.

"Hi sweetheart, can you put me on speaker if Hotch and the others are around?" she asked him gently, desperately hoping she was right and this would advance them.

"It's Garcia, she has news for us," she heard him round everyone up, before addressing her again. "Everyone's here, baby."

"Okay," she swallowed, looking around her at all the faces staring back at her, "This didn't really occur to me when I saw all the pictures of the bodies, but I have been able to identify most of the victims now and two things spring forward. First, they are from a fifty mile radius around the dump site, including each time one big city, and second, he always goes for the same victims." She was now sitting behind her computer again, frantically pulling up searches.

"What makes you say that?" Hotch questioned, his interest piqued.

"Well," Garcia pointed at the pictures with her pink fuzzy pen, "Each group of victims has the same physical types. Like there are three blondes, one is skinny, the others are not. There are two African Americans, one is female, the other male. One Latino, one elderly man,..."

"Two brunettes, one around 25, one around 40, and a blonde man," Reid finished for her. Hotch was bent over the table, looking over the files spread out from the latest case, nodding.

"Garcia, any other similarities?" he demanded, one eyebrow lifted as he looked up at Morgan.

"I'm searching," she typed with the speed of light, and window after window of matches flashed in front of her.

"Their ages match, more or less, in most of the cases. Their social class does too, their jobs are not the same but similar. That's why nothing came up before," she rattled off as she was checking her screens.

"Well done, Garcia," Hotch complimented her, "Keep checking for as many connections as you can."

"Sounds like he's recreating a situation," Prentiss remarked, "But what situation?"

"He's strangling them, so it's personal. But what personal situation involves 12 people opposing an individual?" Hotch offered.

"A jury!" Reid exclaimed, "think about it, if someone felt they or someone close to them was unjustly treated by a judge, and they suffered a psychotic break, they could be executing a vengeance fantasy."

"We'll have Garcia try and find such a jury while we give a partial profile and spread a future victim profile to the media," Hotch concluded, urging them into the police precincts while Morgan called his Baby Girl back before joining the group.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

"Agent Garcia, step into my office, please," Chief Strauss motioned Penelope to come in and take a seat as she came back from a coffee run. She was about to protest, that her searches were running, but Strauss held her hand up to silence her. "I know you are very busy, this will only take a minute."

Penelope nodded, and followed the woman inside. Ever since she had answered her phone with "talk dirty to me" she knew the section chief kept a close eye on her relationship with Morgan and its effect on the team, although there had never been any reason to complain. Now, she was nervous as she took a seat.

"Miss Garcia, there is a reason there are frat rules and they are enforced here at the FBI. Your relationship with Mr. Lynch was tolerated because you were assigned to totally different projects. However, it has been brought to my attention that you are now pursuing a relationship with Agent Morgan, of your team. Is that correct?" Strauss folded her hands together, pausing to let Penelope gather her thoughts while she took a breath.

"Yes, that is correct, Ma'am," Penelope answered, looking right back at her, despite her nervousness. This was too precious to her to give up on.

"Given your excellent work record, for both of you, I will simply issue a warning that you keep things professional at all moments, is that understood?" Strauss spoke severely, her lips pinched.

'

"Yes, Ma'am, thank you," Penelope answered softly, knowing fully well that the woman in front of her had the power to split up the team or at least make their lives a lot more difficult. She stood up as Strauss stood up, and made her way to the door when her superior stopped her again.

"Penelope, officially, I have to give you that warning, especially because there has been a complaint, and I don't need to tell you from where it came. Unofficially however, let me say I'm glad for you, it was about time." Penelope just stared at her, then returned her smile before quickly running back to her office, ready for her searches.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Thanks to Penelope's digging and a general warning to the media, the team had been able to narrow down their suspect list and had finally located their UNSUB, as they were now on their way to arrest the man. As Reid had suspected, he had been acting out a fantasy of justice, wherein the real culprits, namely the jury who wrongly convicted his father to death by lethal injection, were punished. The only reason it had taken them an extra day was because the case was fairly old, and barely digitalised, as the stressor of the actual execution had been the trigger for the killings.

Now, after six days, Penelope was impatient for her team to finally come back, and she was anxiously awaiting the call that they had their UNSUB and were on the plane home. However, she knew it wasn't for hours, first they needed to actually find the suspect, then there was the usual debriefing and only then would they make it to the plane. Staying in her office while she waited on the news they found the UNSUB, once that happened she would check in with Team B who were on a long, drawn-out case and see if she could help there, and then she would go home and rest before coming back to greet her superheroes.

"Strange, how I already think of his apartment as _home_," she mumbled at her screen, when her phone started ringing.

"Garcia, we found the UNSUB. He's arrested," Hotch's strained voice flooded her earpiece, immediately chilling her heart as he was usually at least a tad more cheerful unless something had gone wrong and most of all, it was always Morgan who called her, and sometimes JJ too. If Hotch called, _after_ they got the suspect...

"Yes sir, is everything alright?" She asked shakily, bracing herself.

"It's Morgan," Hotch announced, his voice suddenly soft. "He was shot."

Penelope gasped, as she fell back in her chair. _Shot._ Her worst nightmare was coming true.

**A/N: Eeuuhh, I could've gone on a while, but all I'm saying is, **_**have a little faith in me**_** lol. And eerr fuel my poor typing? **


	17. Friendly fire

**A/N: Sorry for the late update (I'm saying that a lot, no?) after such a cliffhanger, I know I worried more than one of you ;) Daughter is only slightly better and has now passed her crud on to her father and me. At least my fingers no longer hurt, but I apologize for any inconsistencies, I'm not entirely well lol.**

**Again, thank you for all the support, the favorites and alerts (there's over 100! where are you people?) and most of all the reviews. **

**If all goes well, one more chapter after this, and that's it! **

**A/N: A little issue I was alerted to: in the previous chapter, Strauss should've technically addressed Garcia as "Technical Analyst Garcia", that's also how she picked up the phone in 3x01 'Doubt'. However, Penelope's badge says "SA", "Special Agent" and I know in s6 (I need to rewatch again!) I somewhere noted that she seemed to be promoted to agent as she was referred to as one. I'd go look up my episode reviews but a) tumblr is down and b) tumblr's tag system really sucks. I think I'll move them to LJ again! Can anyone else confirm this? **

**Disclaimer: none of this belongs to me. I just play around with the characters a little. **

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

"Garcia, are you still there?" Hotch asked, worried when his only response was a gasp and then silence, he had insisted he be the one to inform her, despite JJ telling him that perhaps she was better placed to call her best friend.

"Is he … is he alright?" Penelope whispered, all blood had left her face, and she was only vaguely aware of her boss on the other side of the line.

"He'll be fine, Garcia, it's just a flesh wound, but there's something else I wanted to..." Hotch reassured her, but he was interrupted by a sharp hiss.

"Are you out of your mind? Couldn't you just have started with "_Morgan will be alright but he's been shot?"_ Are you the one doing drama now? Or did you just want to scare me to death?" Penelope yelled down the receiver, stunning Hotch into a certain silence now.

"Penelope," he started, trying to calm her down, knowing fully well she was right, not wanting to reprimand her for yelling at her superior.

"I'm sorry for yelling, Sir," she noted, rather dryly, and he could hear her sniff, wiping away a tear.

"Garcia, I wanted to be the one to tell you that Morgan was hit by my bullet," Hotch sighed, apologetic. He respected Garcia too much to let anyone else tell her the news, but he was also slightly apprehensive of her reaction – with reason.

"What? _How?_" she demanded, and he sighed again. It had been such a concurrence of circumstances that it was hard to make out what exactly had happened, not until Morgan was out of the doctors' hands and he could give his version, and then he looked at more than one report and probably a hearing by Strauss and her board.

"It's not really clear, right now, I'm waiting on Morgan to be released by the doctors, but we located the suspect, only we didn't figure he'd live with his uncle who is, well was an illegal weapons collector..." Hotch paused, trying to recollect the moment when they entered and found themselves in the dark, with the characteristic clicks of two shotguns being armed and certainly aimed at them.

"We only had our flashlights, and Morgan moved forward while I had a clear shot of the suspect. I fired, and I said I had him, but Williams lunged forward to get Reid and Morgan stopped him and it all happened so quickly... " the unit chief tried to explain, but as always with these situations, only those directly involved would really understand what exactly had happened. Fortunately he knew Garcia had been on the line often enough during an intervention to understand how interventions worked out, and he knew she'd make sense out of what happened, one way or another. If anyone could, it was their TA.

"Okay," Penelope sounded eerily calm now, "I'm on my way." Before Hotch could protest, she clicked the phone shut, and started frantically typing to get a flight. In a few hours she'd be in South Carolina.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Just a mere few hours later it was a very pale, but determined Garcia who stepped into the hospital waiting room where her team members sat. JJ jumped up immediately, hugging her friend, Emily following close behind her. Reid and Rossi were still at the precinct, filling out all of the necessary paperwork which came with two suspects and an agent being shot during an intervention. Untangling herself from JJ's embrace, Penelope noticed Hotch a little further in the corridor, talking to a doctor dressed in scrubs, so she rapidly made her way over to them, just as the doctor disappeared again through the double doors and Hotch turned around to go back to the waiting room.

"Where is he?" she demanded, without greetings, all she wanted was to see with her own eyes that he was alright. The few seconds when she had thought he had been killed, were among the worst of her life, bringing her back to the moment when her aunt had sat her down and told her that her parents had died in a car crash. Her world had fallen apart then, and when Hotch had told her Morgan was shot and her brain immediately jumped to a worst-case scenario conclusion, she had seen that happen again. It was also why she had snapped at Hotch – but she knew he understood that, and she would apologize to him, just not right now.

"Garcia, I..." Hotch started, but she interrupted him immediately.

"Where is he?" She just wanted to know, the rest would come later.

"They are sorting out his painkillers, he will be released soon," a suddenly very wary looking Hotch reassured her.

"Okay," she nodded, leaning against the wall, her eyes fixated on the double doors leading to the ICU, she desperately wanted to go beyond them but she also knew people were saving lives behind them all the time, and she would merely be interfering with that. If they released him...

Fortunately, her frayed nerves were further spared when the doors opened again and she saw her noir hero coming through them, his arm wrapped up tightly, arguing with two medics who wanted him to go over wound aftercare. She pushed herself off the wall, slightly, just standing there, staring at him and he stopped dead in his tracks, no longer hearing the medics nor Hotch telling him to listen to them, he was focused solely on her now. Then, as in a film, Penelope launched herself forward and Morgan wrapped his good arm around her, kissing her hair, her forehead, then dipping his head lower and showing her with a hard but tender kiss that he was indeed still alive and she hadn't need to worry. Even if both knew she would always worry, now, there was no time for that.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

"You're not supposed to lift anything!" Garcia playfully chided Morgan, who was carrying a grocery bag from her car to his house, "Consider yourself lucky I let you partake in this captivating task." She stuck her tongue out at him when he pretended to chase her, knowing full well she'd never get away if he became serious about it.

So far, he had been off work for ten days, to let his arm heal before he was allowed desk duty. Although she felt guilty about it, Garcia really enjoyed spending so much time with her lover, but she also understood it was driving him a little crazy to be helpless. The bullet had hit him in his right arm, and it had taken him some time to adjust to using his left. So she had taken a week off, to care for him. With all the overtime she racked up, they didn't have a choice but to let her.

Beyond that, he was actually thankful for all the time he got to spend with Penelope, falling deeper in love with her every day. She was so loving, so caring, so attentive for him, he thanked his lucky stars he had her in his life. They had been making the best out of their time together, kicking back, watching movies, rest, and generally just revel in each other's presence.

After two days Hotch had come by to check on him, and she had apologized for yelling at him on the phone, which he had admitted he didn't handle the message very well. He had been so intent on telling her what happened he hadn't exactly thought of the wording and how it would come over, and he apologized for scaring her so much. In the same breath, he'd agreed with her that as soon as he was up for it, Morgan could come in for some light desk duty, if only so they could all keep an eye on him. Penelope had a hard time keeping him from doing anything straining, and that would only get worse now that she was back to work and not there to refrain him. It had been hard for her to go back, but she couldn't let the team be down two people for much longer.

"Hot stuff, I'm serious, put it down!" she warned him, sternly, but with a twinkle in her eyes as they reached the kitchen. "If you strain your arm I'm asking Hotch to withdraw your desk duty and assign Anderson to come take care of you!"

The look of horror on Morgan's face was enough to make her burst into laughter, so she chased him off to the couch to watch TV while she prepared them dinner.

"But baby I've been bored all day without you," he exclaimed with much drama.

"You'll cook for me when you're better, now rest!" she laughed while he protested, waving with a flyer for Italian take-out. "And you'll get to do dishes then too, don't worry," she added with a wink before he finally gave in and sat down.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

"Yeah, he's perfect, the work is almost done," Garcia smiled at JJ in the break room at the BAU, but she didn't really feel like smiling at all. "Thank you for recommending him."

"He was really great when he redid the basement at our house, and according to Will he was really worth the money, so I'm glad I could get him out to you so fast!" JJ enthusiastically chattered. Once she found out Penelope's apartment had been ravaged, she had made it her personal mission to have it restored to its original, even improved, state. She had called in a favour or two, and a contractor who had worked on her and Will's house had been able to move around his order book to take on the work, which "looked far far worse than it actually was, due to the soot and water used to put the fire out."

"I swung by last night, and what he did looks gorgeous. He said he only needs to add a layer or two of paint, and install the new kitchen," Pen agreed with her assessment of the man's work.

"When are you moving back then?" Emily asked, interested, as she just heard the last part of the conversation.

"I don't know..." Penelope suddenly sounded pensive, earning her two pairs of furrowed brows.

"Need us to help pack? Paint and installing the kitchen should take only a good week, no?" Emily continued, "Unless we catch a case, of course."

"I can't leave Morgan like this," Penelope weakly smiled, "I need to get back to work."

She nearly ran out of the room, leaving her surprised colleagues just as Rossi walked in and she nearly bowled him over.

Readjusting his vest, the man looked at her retreating form, then turned around to Prentiss and JJ who were both watching him with surprised looks on their faces.

"Anyone care to tell me why Garcia was in such a hurry?" he inquired, walking over to the coffee machine.

"I don't know. She probably forgot something. We were just talking about her moving back to her own apartment," Prentiss shrugged, going for a cup herself.

"Hmm," Rossi suddenly looked pensive, stirring his coffee with two sugars, "Ever thought maybe she doesn't want to move back?"

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Sitting in her office, Penelope was massaging her temples. She had just launched a few searches for team B and put the new software she was writing on a test round, so she didn't really have to focus on anything in particular right now. The conversation with Emily and JJ had brought up feelings she had tried to repress as much as possible, issues she tried not to think about.

The truth was, she really liked living with Morgan. When they were together, it was like they had always been a couple, it was that easy. Waking up in his arms, no matter at what hour, filled her with joy, no matter what the day brought. Going to sleep listening to his even breathing gave her a sense of calm she rarely had found since she had been shot.

She knew why it wasn't a good idea though. They had only been dating a month, and they probably wouldn't have if the fire in her apartment hadn't forced her to move in with him. Despite his assurance he was all in, she also knew he wasn't the relationship type, and she didn't want to push him. The fact he wanted her, was something she still hadn't gotten used to. But in her mind remained that lingering little voice, telling her he might get bored with her. She had worried about keeping her relationship exciting, as Kevin often complained she was boring, and she figured that that would be easier when she was back at her apartment. But at the same time, she didn't want to let go of Morgan.

Yet, she didn't dare to tell him, and she wouldn't, afraid he would find her too clingy since he hadn't even hinted at feeling anything alike. After all, anytime she had mentioned the work done on her apartment he had been enthusiast enough and even complimented the work done and how fast the contractor worked. She would just have to find a way to deal.

**A/N: Shall I go write that next chapter then? **


	18. Do you?

**A/N: Whew! Journey has come to an end, it seems. I'm sorry it took so long (again), between work, sick, and catching up on all sorts of stuff, it was hectic. This is a really big chapter though, I just kept writing and writing and I didn't really find a place where I could effectively split it in two, so you're getting everything at once and with that, it's the end of the fic. There might be an epilogue later on, maybe. But I'm not promising anything! **

**First, I will reply to all of your reviews and messages, as soon as work will let me. I wasn't even supposed to write all this, actually ;) Good thing I work from home and I did an urgent job this morning so I'm taking a a bit of a (very long) break ;) But thank you so much for all your support. I lost quite a few people along the way it seems, but to those of you who stuck it out and commented so much, thank you! I intended this to be a one-shot, at first, and look what it turned into – Almost 40,000 words! **

**My next story will be the Christmas fic – it's planned, not written, so I better hurry. After that I will concentrate on my alphabet drabbles and angst fics, which I may or may not post here too. If you want to join me, feel free to message me for a link, they are on dreamwidth and also on my livejournal. **

**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me, I'm only playing with it a little! **

Coming home that night, Penelope was greeted by the welcome aroma of pasta sauce cooking, making her stomach grumble as she hadn't eaten anything after her migraine earlier that day. Now, she was positively starved but despite this she quickly ran to the kitchen to tell Derek off for being up and cooking.

"Derek Morgan! You are not sup-" she yelled, then stood nailed to the floor when she looked at the smiling face of Fran Morgan who was stirring in a pot while Derek sat on a bar stool in his kitchen.

"Oh I'm so sorry, I thought..." she turned blood red as she profusely apologized, but Derek pulled her close to him with his good arm, grinning like the cat who ate the canary. In fact, he looked entirely too pleased with himself.

"Mom, I'd like you to meet Penelope," he beamed, "Baby Girl, this is my mom."

Penelope suddenly felt shy. She had always imagined meeting Derek's mother and chatting her ear off to get to know her hot stuff better, and the rest of the team had told her how warm and caring she was when they met her in Chicago years ago. She just never had a chance to go to his hometown with Derek, although now she probably would, she hoped. But meeting her as her best friend's mom or as her lover's mom were two entirely different worlds, and Penelope didn't know which hat she had to wear.

Fortunately, Fran Morgan wasn't suffering from similar shyness as she quickly put the lid she was holding back on the pot and enveloped Penelope in a big hug.

"I've heard _so much_ about you, Penelope," the woman complimented her warmly, effectively breaking the ice.

"I hope it were only good things," Garcia quipped, chuckling slightly.

"Good? That doesn't even come close to describing what he has told us in the hours and hours he has talked about you," Fran sighed in fake exasperation, "The man runs out of superlatives sometimes to praise you!"

Now Penelope blushed again, but this time with an undertone of excitement. Kevin's mother had always been nagging and griping about this or that, and Kevin never went against her, on the contrary. With Derek's mom, she hoped to be able to have a new start.

"Hotch told me it was my mom or Anderson to babysit me," Morgan pouted, "He can't give me desk duty until I have done at least the first part of physical therapy."

"I think you made the right choice, handsome," Penelope winked, "I wouldn't have trusted you with Anderson all day."

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

Two hours later, Penelope didn't hesitate any longer whether or not she would get along with Derek's mother. Fran's sauce had needed to simmer for while longer so they had gone into the living room to chat while waiting for dinner. The conversation had flowed so easily, it seemed like the two women had known each other for years instead of just minutes and hours, and Derek had watched their exchanges about just about any topic with amazement. He had always known the two most important women in his life would get along swimmingly, but this was even beyond his expectations! So he sat back, enjoyed his non-alcoholic drink (something they both had teased him about) and listened to their words, humming his approval here and there when appropriate. For the first time perhaps in his life, especially since his father died, he felt a sense of completeness, like he had everything he wished for. His mother and sisters were doing well, and it did him a world of good to see her outside of their normal visiting for her birthday and Christmas. He had a promising, fulfilling career, and a house he hoped would turn into a real home soon. But most of all, he had the woman of his dreams at his side, and while at one point in his life, the idea of settling had scared him, he now was more than ready for it and he was smiling at the thought of how flawlessly everything was fitting together. The images playing through his head all involved their future together, and he couldn't wait to start on it.

"Yes, fortunately my apartment is almost ready, they said I could move back this weekend," Penelope dragged Morgan back to reality, and he sat up just a bit startled, causing him to wince. He wasn't prepared for Penelope to leave. Over the last month, he'd built up such a cozy life with her, and it felt so right to him he didn't want that to be taken away from him. He knew it was early, and he knew they would have an equally good relationship when they were living apart, just _different_, but he couldn't help and wish this could continue. He almost chuckled, thinking how independent they both were yet how being together somehow didn't interfere at all with that. That had been one of his worst fears when he used to think about commitment. Now he knew for a fact it didn't have to be that way.

"Everything alright?" She studied his shocked face, looking for signs of pain or exhaustion, or any other explanation why he suddenly jumped up so quickly.

"Yeah, fine, I was just dozing off," he furrowed his brow, and tried to change the subject, aware of their worried looks. He certainly didn't want to let them in on his feelings – Penelope looked enthusiast enough to go back to her own apartment and his mom would perhaps worry they were hurrying into something.

"Well dinner is ready, let's eat and make it an early night," Fran rounded them up, aware that something in their conversation had probably alarmed him, and she could only guess what. It was obvious her son was smitten and the news Penelope's apartment was nearly done had startled him, but she wouldn't ask him about it in front of her. She'd wait until they were alone the next day.

During dinner, their normal chatter resumed, and while they enjoyed the meal Mrs. Morgan cooked, they tried to forget about their worries, although it was clear something was weighing on Derek's mind.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

The next morning Penelope had hurried out the door after a little awkward moment with Mrs. Morgan. The night before she had insisted she sleep in the guestroom because his mother was there, but Derek had laughed loudly, and dragged her inside the master bedroom where all her belongings were had long since moved to after her first weekend there.

"Baby girl, we're not going to move you into the bedroom again for the week, I'm nearly forty, my mother _knows_ I have sex!" he'd said, and that was that. Still, Penelope worried a little more until he had convinced her his mother loved her very much, too, and certainly didn't oppose them.

"Yeah, it'd be silly, just for one week until you're back to desk duty, and then move it to my place again," she'd added, her voice strained, and she couldn't help noticing that his face fell, but he quickly regained his composure and smiled at her, before getting into bed. She seemed so happy that things were getting back into order, that he didn't want to burst her bubble. He'd just have to learn better how to keep his emotions in check.

Still, she had flushed when she saw Mrs. Morgan up in the kitchen already, hoping she hadn't heard her moans last night when Derek had insisted he was well enough for _some_ activity_, _despite his insistence it was alright. So she had barely taken the time to grab a travel mug of coffee before she ran out the door, leaving an amused pair behind.

"She's a special one, isn't she?" Fran asked her son softly, serving him his breakfast. He nodded, hiding behind his plate of eggs and bacon, hoping his mom wouldn't press any further.

"What's bothering you, son?" she insisted, pouring a glass of orange juice. He shrugged, and grumbled something vaguely resembling "nothing, ma" but she wasn't content with just that.

"You startled when she mentioned moving out, and you have been withdrawn since. What has been going on?" Mrs. Morgan observed, knowing her son better than anyone else, and she knew she had hit the nail on the head when his shoulders slumped a little but he looked up at her, hurt in his eyes. Maybe he was nearly forty, but she still could read him like when he was a child, and she knew he still valued her opinion and advice.

"I don't want her to go, Ma, I feel like I finally found happiness," he confessed, "And I know living apart won't break that but I only feel whole when we're together, I'm not ready to give that up."

"Derek, maybe you need to tell her that. I may be mistaken, but I believe she's as reluctant as you to leave," his mother told him earnestly, her hand resting on his upper arm.

"She's way too happy about her apartment being done, she wants to go as soon as possible," he stated, almost as a fact, but it was all he could do not to sound jerkish. Fact was, he did feel a little revolted she apparently couldn't wait to be gone, considering her enthusiasm for the renovations he'd heard in her voice when she explained everything JJ and her had done. But mostly, he felt very, very sad.

"Boy, I hope you're a much better profiler than that, normally, because otherwise I don't know what they're paying you for at the BAU," his mother scolded him, "Now eat, before we're late for your physical therapy."

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

"Here, Baby Girl," Derek handed her a book she was looking for to put in her boxes, he was helping her pack despite his reluctance for her to go. It was Friday night, and the plan was for the team to show up the next day, barring any urgent cases of course, and help Penelope move back in one go. He noticed she wasn't her usual energetic self, but he chalked to up to the stress of moving on top of a loaded work week – taking a week off always meant lots of files to catch up on when you came back at the BAU - and the sometimes late night chats they had with his mother, who wanted to know everything about Penelope and her past.

But every time Fran had tried to steer the conversation in the direction of her moving, he'd either carefully avoided the topic or kept a stoic face. Now, however, time was definitely running out for him to say something, and all her belongings were being packed away at a rapid speed. He had just managed to convince her to leave some of it behind at his house, for when she'd come over, and she had flashed a little awkward smile he couldn't exactly pinpoint, for a moment he had thought she'd say no and then just like that she'd put her toothbrush, pajamas and a change of clothes back into his dresser.

"I think I have everything now," she mused, looking around her before her eye fell on the bedside table, and she went over to it to grab a pill strip and put it in her purse after taking one out.

"Let's go eat something then," Derek offered, his heart sinking fast, he didn't want to weigh her down but somehow he was finding it difficult to keep the cheerful mood up tonight.

"Oh fuck," she mumbled though, not at all what he was expecting as an answer, while she was looking at the pill strip as if it had perpetrated a horrible offense against humanity.

"We don't have to go eat now, sweetheart," he soothed her, striding over to her, but she looked up at him with tears in her eyes, and he knew that was not it.

"I'm so sorry, handsome, I did something really stupid," she nearly cried, her lips were trembling, and he was quick to wrap his arms around her, she was trembling.

"It's okay, baby, whatever it is, it's okay," he murmured against her ear, looking at her hand he understood what she was saying. She had forgotten several pills in the strip, on the day her oven exploded, and the day he had been shot, notably, but he waited for her to say it.

"I forgot my pill," she whispered, "and you, we-..."

"Didn't use anything else," he completed her sentence, "it's okay baby girl. And I'm clean, you know I'd never do that to you." She nodded, and wiped a tear away, but he saw this wasn't what was bugging her.

"I'm so sorry," she turned around, shying away from him, but he wouldn't let her go.

"I was there just as much as you, honey, I just assumed, because I knew you took the pill, that's my fault too," he reassured her, he knew fully well what this meant, but it didn't bother him in the slightest. When he had told her he was all in, he was really all in. No matter how early in their relationship it was, he considered they were well past the getting-to-know-eachother part anyway.

"How come you are staying so calm under this!" Penelope suddenly exclaimed, looking up at him, "You do know what this mean, don't you?"

"I do, Baby Girl," he told her earnestly, swallowing a sudden lump in his throat, "But _if_ it happened I'd be thrilled, and if it doesn't, I do hope it'll happen one day."

Hearing this, Penelope burst into tears, and he pulled her closer, stroking her hair while he felt his shirt getting wet. He held her for a long time, simply consoling her by his presence, wordlessly conveying that whatever happened, he was there and he'd always be there for her. When she finally let go of him and shot him a watery smile, he kissed her, passionately, underlining his point, until they were gasping for air.

"I love you," he cupped her face, looking her straight in the eyes.

"I love you too," she answered, and they both went downstairs to eat.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

After dinner, Fran had sent them away, declining their offers to help with cleaning up, sensing that they needed some time together. She knew it was a big day, and she also figured that Derek hadn't said anything to Penelope about his reluctance for her to go. She just hoped that he'd somehow stop being so stubborn, she was going back to Chicago on Sunday evening and she didn't want to leave him behind a mess.

Penelope looked over the boxes, wistfully, the reality of her leaving was really sinking in now, and she was barely able to hide her real feelings anymore as tears pricked in her eyes. She knew she had told herself that she needed to grow up, get over it, leave Derek his space or she'd smother him, but it was damned hard to let go of what you wanted most, and she wasn't sure she still wanted to pretend everything was alright.

Morgan was looking through a bag, lost in thought himself. He didn't really know what to do or say right then, he felt like begging her to stay but he had told himself that he couldn't impose his feelings on her, that he shouldn't guilt her into staying if that wasn't what she really wanted. He just hoped he wouldn't feel too empty when she was back in her apartment. Still, it was now or never if he wanted to say something about it.

"I don't want you to go," he blurted out the next second when she turned around and looked at him, and he caught her gaze. "I don't want to go," she said in the same breath, and they both started laughing. She walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and he dipped his head, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I don't want you to go," he repeated, this time even more throatily, and she saw how vulnerable he was right in that moment.

"I don't want to, either," she caressed his cheek, "But, how?"

"Easy," he chuckled, "I'm asking you to move in with me, permanently." She gasped, she hadn't expected his statement to reach that far, but the look in his eyes was one of pure honesty and adoration.

"Consider it done, Hot Stuff," she laughed, making a wide arm gesture towards the boxes in his room, and kissed him again, until they heard Fran clear her throat in the hallway.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear you," she beamed, "I'm very happy for you!" Fran hugged the both of them fiercely.

"I came up to ask you if you wanted some dessert," she invited them to eat some of the cake she baked earlier that day, and they joined her downstairs, for a night filled with laughter until the early hours.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

"How do you think the team will react?" Penelope waited nervously in the living room. She had gotten very little sleep, between Fran Morgan's enthusiast chatter about visiting them again after she was properly moved in, and the celebrating they had done in the privacy of his – _their- _ bedroom. At least she had now learned no longer to blush when she saw Fran in the morning!

"The same way they reacted when they found out we were together: they'll be happy for us," Derek turned her to face him, his hands resting on her shoulders, "Baby girl, stop doubting us and them."

"I don't doubt us, or even them," she smiled just as the doorbell rang twice, "I'm just not used to my dreams coming true yet."

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

"Morgan, pass me the ketchup please," Prentiss asked from across the long table standing in the middle of the garden, where the team was gathered to enjoy a lazy afternoon.

"I told you so," was the only thing Rossi had said, and the others had shrugged, when they announced Garcia wasn't moving back but in, so the team had gone off to Garcia's to clear out the apartment instead and Morgan had stayed behind with his mother and Reid to set-up a big barbeque for the afternoon. Since not much was left there, and the furniture was in storage anyway, they were back relatively quickly and were now enjoying the sun in the garden, joined by Will who had been looking after Henry and Jack.

The afternoon was perfect, and Penelope felt herself relax in Derek's arms, she was just silently enjoying the chatter around her as they were eating, and she knew that she had made the right decision. Having her family around her always reassured her, she cherished the moments with them, but even more now, now she finally had everything she wished for at her fingertips.

"You're quiet," Morgan whispered in her ear, tightening his grip on her. Even as he was loading his plate he couldn't let go of her, it was stronger than himself. She was like a drug, and while he didn't want to admit it, he was particularly relieved that she wanted to stay.

"I'm happy," she whispered back, and captured his lips in a lingering kiss, until they heard Hotch scrape his throat and Prentiss's cat calls, and broke apart smiling.

"They're insufferable at work," Rossi said in a knowing tone to Fran Morgan who patted his arm in mock-sympathy.

"It's only going to get worse," JJ stated matter-of-factly, diving back into her hamburger, "So we might as well get over it and eat."

"If you can't beat 'm, why not join 'm, mmm?" Will pulled JJ closer, kissing her after a wink, subjecting them to the cat calls now, while the rest of the team laughed.

=~==Baby, If You Were Mine==~=

The sun was almost completely set when Derek suddenly disappeared into his house, leaving Penelope wondering where he went so suddenly without saying anything. The team were still all there, it was a hot night and they had lit garden torches all around them. The kids were sleeping, and they were deep into sharing school memories, and profiling former classmates, before they went on to discuss old cases. Just as quickly as he had gone, Derek slipped back into his spot behind Penelope and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the side of her neck and her ear while laughing at a particularly comical situation Rossi was describing from his early years at the BAU.

"Where did you go?" Penelope asked him quietly, pressing a kiss of her own against his cheek.

"There was something I really needed to do," he cocked his head with a teasing grin, "Something I really need to tell you." She gulped, her heart started beating faster, for a second she thought he was backpedaling, but she wasn't at all prepared for what was coming next.

"Penelope," he whispered, while the attention of the team was still on Rossi and now Hotch who were explaining how Gideon always managed to get all the other agents, including profilers with their own cases, to run around everywhere for him while at the last minute he took off on a hunch which had nothing to do with anything they had done thus far anyway; everyone was joining in citing their own examples.

"Yes?" she answered, concentrating only on him now instead of telling how she had evicted him from her office after the team had gone to Tennessee, as Morgan was definitely acting weirdly now. He was sweating slightly, and she could tell he was a little nervous, which was not like him at all.

"You know, the first time I saw you, I fell in love with you," he caressed her cheek, capturing her complete attention, "But I thought I wasn't what you needed and I was afraid of how big this felt. I thought I lost you forever, but baby, you're the love of my life, you're my God-given solace, my angel, I can't imagine living without you. " Penelope swallowed hard, she was hanging from his lips, he'd told her this just weeks before but there was something solemn in his declaration now, and the world around her ceased to exist as it was only them too in their little bubble, created by the tension overtaking them in that moment.

"I love you too," she choked back the lump in her throat, "more than life itself."

"Will you let me make you mine forever, Baby Girl," he took both her hands in his, running his thumbs over hers, "And will you make me yours?"

"Are you...?" A tear was rolling down her cheek, as she was trying to process what he was saying, and she flashed her a huge smile before opening a small box, holding it up for her.

"Will you marry me, Penelope Garcia?" He spoke a little louder now, turning everyone's attention on them except for his mother and Reid, who had been in on his plan all along. The rest of the team didn't really understand what was going on immediately, looking at them curiously.

"Rhetorical question, Hot Stuff," She sniffled, wrapping her arms around him, "Of course I will." It was then that the their friends fully understood the situation, when Mrs. Morgan ran around the table to hug them, while Rossi and Hotch clapped and JJ let out an enthusiast scream, followed by another "I knew!" from a grinning Reid, obviously proud of himself, which earned him a slap from Prentiss.

After the congratulations died down, and their impromptu barbeque turned into a small engagement gathering, Morgan excused himself a minute, and found his mother who was contemplating the group.

"Thanks mom," he told her earnestly, hugging her, "I would never have gotten all I want if I didn't listen to you telling me to fight."

"I know son," she smiled, patting his arm, "Now get working on those grandbabies of mine!"

Joining the others, he couldn't help but think how far they had come in just over a month. How thankful, and happy, he finally was. And if he was just the slightest bit of a profiler, he'd say Penelope was pretty happy too. Snaking his arm around her waist, he pulled her closer to him, kissing her softly. Perfection, indeed.

**A/N 2: I really hope you enjoyed this story. I loved writing it :) **


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